


That one night

by ramblesandshambles



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Caryl, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-08
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-02-12 05:54:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 56,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2098116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramblesandshambles/pseuds/ramblesandshambles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carol and Daryl are in Maggie and Glenn's wedding party</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> woops I forgot to hit send on this chapter

Carol was walking down the isle in a beautiful dress towards a handsome Glenn Rhee standing at the top of the isle.  _Fuck! How did she let Maggie talk her into this!_ Her eyes drifted across the groomsmen flanking him. One made her mouth run dry.

Carol tried to keep her eyes on the happy couple but she couldn't help her eyes drift over the handsome stranger standing beside Glenn. She noticed when she looked at him he was looking at her.

It had to be Daryl Dixon that she had heard so much about, the one who had been travelling and now was going to start working in Merle's garage to help get it back on track again. She had met Merle more than once, she tried to ignore his vulgar mouth calling everyone 'Sugar Tits' she hoped that Daryl wasn't as vulgar as Merle due to he was her partner for the day for everything.

He had flown in late last night and still looked tired this afternoon, she turned her gaze back to Maggie and Glenn as they exchanged rings. Then they were walking out down the isle. He held his elbow out to her and she touched him. Feeling a bolt sink to her stomach and she did a little lurch.

She kept her eyes on the back of Maggies veil plastering a smile on her face. She stood by Daryl's side saying nothing to anyone as they moved from group photo to group photo. Soon it was time to leave to go have private photo's taken of the wedding party.

Carol followed Daryl to a truck, it looked pretty new and clean. He opened the passenger door and held it open holding a hand out as she tired to climb up in her bridesmaids dress. There was no use there was no way she could climb up there looking lady like or without splitting her dress. There were sparks, she felt it in her tummy.

Daryl was standing back watching her, he nodded at her then picked her up depositing her in the front of the truck, his hands fumbled as they slipped up her inner thigh as he sat her down on his hands. He also managed to un-click her suspenders while quickly trying to move his hands. He blushed red.

'Sorry!' He muttered. _So he speaks, till now it had just been grunts and nods._

'Its ok, turn away you un-clicked my suspenders, Maggie made me wear them!' Carol muttered as she reached up her dress trying to fix it.  _Fuck, fuck, fuck!_  There was no use, everyone in the car park was leaving and there were no women around that she knew to help her fix the problem. She was cast in the seat and couldn't see because her dress was too tight.

'Daryl?' Carol whispered, he turned around looking at her with a question on his face. 'I can't see what I'm doing? Can you help a girl out, we are going to be late other wise!'

Daryl's face was flaming, he blew on his hands and looked at her inner thigh, swallowed and took a hold of the strap and top of her stockings to click them together, his dick was getting hard looking at it. His hands were burning as he touched her skin. Carol was blushing, he was blushing.

'Its done!' He looked at her eyes nodded and shut the door. She could see him in the side mirror adjusting himself as he walked around to get in the drivers side of the truck.

'Once the photos are done I'm dropping the truck off and we can walk over to the reception, where are you staying?' Daryl told her starting the truck. Carol named the same hotel he was staying at. He nodded again. Carol reached into her wee hand bag, flicking down the mirror on the sunvisor to check her make-up.

'Don't want every photo ruined because I have lipstick on my teeth!' Carol told him, he glanced over, she barred her teeth.

'Ya good!' He muttered. His gaze went to her thighs her dress was still halfway up her butt. _Why had she let Maggie talk her into this dress, sure she looked smoking hot but she couldn't even sit down in the truck without putting on a peep show for Daryl._  

Daryl pulled up to the place where they were getting outside shots taken, everyone appeared to be watching and waiting for them. Everyone could see the sparks flying between them. Glenn looked quite smug about his match making skills.

'Daryl's hot, isn't that right Carol?' Maggie asked her, always wanting to fix her up, Carol had always managed to avoid a set up, she had no out today. Glenn was all over it, always a match maker and the two of them working together. This was their plan right from the moment they wanted her in the bridal party.

'He's cute!' Was all Carol would admit to. She wasn't about to tell her friend that her thighs still burnt from his touch, or she felt him undressing her with his eyes. She glanced at him again, he was watching her. He blushed again and looked down her legs.

 Carol accepted a glass of wine from Maggie, there were 6 in the wedding party, Maggie and Glenn, Carol and Daryl and Maggie's teen aged sister Beth and a old friend of Glenn's Rick. Maggie took a glass of wine off Beth and told her to behave.

After what felt like a hundred photos and poises, the guy taking the photos wanted all the men to pick up the women in the bridal carry. Daryl didn't say anything but scooped her up again, she could see he was perving down the front of her dress. Carol was tugging at the bottom of her dress so her panties were not showing. The guys held them in the pose for what felt like all day which in reality was a few minutes.

The photographer, started taking photos of only them as they were looking into each others eyes and faces, the other members of the wedding party could see what the photographer was seeing, it looked like there was going to be a combustion or something. 

The photographer called that was the last shot and they were done they could go to the reception. All the other men put the girls down, Daryl just flipped her so she was hanging over his shoulder. Carol was squealing. Rick was roaring with laughter at his prank. Carol was franticly trying to pull the bottom of her dress down while yelling at him to put her down.

'Meet you at the reception!' Daryl told them as he strided off to the truck and dumped her in the front of the truck. Daryl walked around to the side of the truck to be met by Glenn.

'So Daryl what do you think of Carol?' He asked. Daryl looked flustered. He didn't know what had gotten into him putting her over his shoulder like a cave man or something. Glenn found it amusing.

'She's ok I spose!' Daryl muttered. 'Met you in the foyer of the reception!' Daryl jumped in the truck and drove off.


	2. Chapter 2

Daryl pulled into the hotel car park and looked across the seat at Carol.

'I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that, carried you like you were a sack of coal or something!' He told her, she just nodded, kinda shocked that he said he was sorry about it. 

'I need to go get something from my room! Before the reception!' Carol told him. He nodded following her into the lift looking at her sideways as they rode up together. She used her keys to get in, wandered off to the bathroom. Daryl glanced at the huge bed in the room, what he wouldn't give to throw her on it and make love to her. He heard her coming back out, she looked a little bit better put together since he had wreaked her hair when he carried her.

She picked up a present off the small table and indicated they should go. He nodded looking at her following her out, taking time to check out her arse as she walked out the door in front of him.

Carol sat at his side the whole way through speeches, feeling his heat from his body. She suddenly felt a hand on her thigh rubbing it gently as he leaned across her to say something to Glenn. His hand stayed there pretty much as he ate one handed.

First dance was announced as Glenn and Maggie went to the dance floor, followed by Carol and Daryl. Rick and Beth. They danced slowly as everyone watched soon other couples joined them on the dance floor. Daryl was supposed to let Carol go to dance with someone else but he never let go. He noticed Rick had dumped the young bridesmaid for a hot looking dark women, and Beth was dancing with a teen aged boy.

He let his hands drift up and down her back. He pulled her close she had no doubt that he wanted her, she could feel his erection pressed against her stomach.

'You wana slip out?' Daryl mumbled in her ear, she nodded, he took her hand looking around suddenly settling on a small dark hallway looking around to see if they would be spotted, bending down to kiss her mouth the way he had been wanting to since he saw her walking down the isle of the church. He couldn't help it, there was a pull there, something that he never knew exsisted. His heart was pounding, she was  _the one!_

Finding a little office down the dark hall he pulled her behind him into the room pushing her up against the wall kissing her neck groaning.

'I been wanting to do that all day! What the fuck is this?' Daryl groaned moving his hands up her legs slipping his hands into her panties. Rubbing her clit, she was undoing his pants as they fell to the floor he looked around and saw an office chair, he half carried half dragged her so he was sitting on it pulling her onto him his mouth never leaving her sliding her right on top of his hard dick.

'Fuck!' Daryl groaned as he moved inside of her, she pulled back looking in his eyes as she moved herself up and down on him. She had  itch that had needed scratching since the moment she saw him. She was breathless not able to speak as he helped her move up and down on his full length, pulling her to his mouth again by the back of her hair. Rubbing her clit still he could feel her starting to cum and he moved harder inside her, she let out a groan and shuddered onto him, he came shortly after she stopped.

'Fuck!' Daryl kissed her again, this wasn't him, he didn't fuck girls he just met, especially at his best friends wedding.  He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her again, helping her to her feet. She was a little unsteady. 

'You ok?' Daryl mumbled, he knew he took her hard and fast, it probably wasn't his finest moment, she didn't say no, did he give her a chance to say no? He began to worry.

'I'm ok, that was ummm hot!' She whispered to him. She looked slightly embarrassed about everything that had just happened, she had left bite marks on his neck, she blushed when she saw them.

'You want to go back or ?' Daryl asked her.

'Yeah we need to go back for a while, to throw the dogs off the scent!' Carol whispered to him, he nodded cuddled into her arms for a bit longer then pulled his pants back up tucking himself in then, adjusting his suit so it didn't look like what they had been doing was what they had been doing.

'Can I see you again?' Daryl asked her, 'Like after all this wedding stuff, I'm working for my brother Merle starting next week! Here!' He fished in his pocket for a business card and handed it to her.

Carol looked at the card, it had his name and cell phone number printed on it, the name of the garage. It surprised her due to the fact she knew he just arrived back yesterday.

'Merle got them done and got me a phone!' He answered her unasked question. She nodded.

'Do I look ok? I don't have my arse hanging out?' She asked him, he looked her up and down.

'Your good!' He took her hand and towed her with him back to dance some more. They both had a few more drinks before heading back to the Hotel. He went to his room, she was going to met him there shortly she needed to get a change of clothes and shoes, he was sharing with his brother, but they were going to go there to get to know each other better.

Carol used his key to get into his hotel room which was on the same floor as her. She had been gone nearly an hour getting side tracked with Maggie an Glenn, she hoped he would still be awake, she was shocked when she looked in one of the bedrooms and saw him asleep in bed with his shirt off and a beautiful half naked blonde asleep beside him.


	3. Chapter 3

Carol felt sick to her stomach, almost heaving, she couldn't believe she had been so stupid to have sex with him.  _Stupid stupid stupid!_ Carol stared for a moment longer Daryl's eyes opened and he looked at her for a moment the women at his side moved.

'Fuck!' He got out. Carol spun on her heels and left the room and raced down the hall to her own room and managed to shut the door before dissolving into tears.

She looked around desperately wanting to go home. She knew she couldn't go home because she had been drinking, and tomorrow they had to do the lunch thing at the Greenes and she would have to face him again. 

The next day, Carol put on a brave face, avoided Daryl who tried to corner her at every turn and left as soon as Maggie and Glenn left on their honeymoon. She was mad beyond mad, the blonde was with Daryl and his brother at the lunch, a buffet style lunch, Carol grabbed a plate and headed off to sit beside some of the older people trying to avoid everyone.

Her cheeks flamed every time she thought about how slutty she had behaved last night. Having sex with him on a office chair like a tramp, Daryl soon got the message she wasn't about to speak to him or listen to any excuses. He had a half naked women in bed with him less than an hour after she left him to go to her room.

Carol arrived at her house dumping her bags on the hall floor, locked the door behind her and crawled into her bed. Why, what had she done to deserve this shit. She never dated, never got excited about men before and he had made her let her guard down and behave in a way she never had.

She had finally got to a place in her life where she was happy. Happy with life in general after her failed marriage to arsewipe Ed.  The abuser she liked to call him, she also liked to pretend she was a widow. 

 

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For the next month she avoided everyone, avoided Maggie and Glenn just in case Daryl was there, avoided Merle because he was Daryl's brother, in the end she had no choice but to ring Merle because she had a problem with her car it broke down in the middle of no where, Merle was her last resort. Even though he was an arse, he would come get her as a favour. She already tried Rick and Shane and they were a no go.

'Is Merle there please?' Carol asked, she was starting to get desperate it was getting dark and she was parked on the side of a lonely road.

'He's out on a job? Can I take a message?' Daryl's voice come over the phone, Carol's stomach lurched.

'How long do you think he will be?' Carol asked,

'Probably won't be back for another few hours, he's about 100miles away!' Daryl thought he reconsigned her voice, the voice and person he hadn't been able to stop thinking about. 'Is that you Carol?'

'Yeah!' Carol looked around there were no houses around, it was almost dark,  _Fuck. '_ 'Ummm Daryl, my car's broken down!' She rattled off the road.

'I'll be right there!' He quickly locked the garage, climbed into the cab of the tow truck and drove to the location she rattled off. He felt nervous, he knew she thought he slept with someone else the moment she left,  _Fucken Andrea_ Merle's sometimes girlfriend was so drunk she had climbed into bed beside him instead of Merle, he didn't even know she was there until he felt Carol's eyes on him.

Since then she hadn't answered any of his calls, he had stopped by to see her to tell her but she shut the door on his face asking him to stop bothering her. That was a month ago, now she was calling Merle for help and she would be pissed she got him, and had no other choice.

It was pitch black when he got to her, she must be frightened sitting in her car in the pitch black, no one around for miles, it had taken some time to find her, it was a long road. He backed up to her car. He jumped out walking around to the drivers door. She had the car locked, he knew she knew he was there he had bumped her car with the truck, he tapped on the window. He could tell she was crying, it pulled at his heart strings, she was scared shit less being out here in the dark with a dead car.

She opened the door, he held his hand out to her to help, she avoided it reaching in to get her stuff. He walked beside her she had no choice but to let him help her climb up into the cab, she was in heels and a short skirt having been at work. He sighed knowing she still was mad at him. He went about hooking her car up, taking breaks off and putting it into neutral so it could be towed on its back wheels.

He climbed into the cab beside her. 'You ok? Not to scared or anything waiting out here?' He asked her.

She shook her head, bit her lip, looked out the widow as silent tears fell. Daryl slid across the bench seat and hugged her to him. His body melded into hers and she let her tears fall. 

'I though you changed your mind and wouldn't come get me!' She whispered.

'I wouldn't leave anyone out in the dark alone, especially you babe! You ready?' He told her, she nodded her head moving away from her he started the truck driving slowly back to town. She still wasn't that friendly to him but it was more than the last month.

'Ya want me to drop you at your house?' Daryl asked her. She nodded, knowing he would take her car back to the garage.

Daryl pulled up to the curb of her house turning in his seat, he quickly pulled her to him claiming her mouth before she could reject him. She kissed him back hard and fast, then she remembered she was mad at him, pushing him away, opening the door stumbling down the steps, reaching back for her bag. 'Thanks!' She told him and slammed the door shut, walking up to her house.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Three months later, Carol knew there was no kidding her self any more, the fact she woke every morning with her head in the toilet, her pants were not fitting, sore boobs, and the four pregnancy tests lying on the floor around her told her she was pregnant. She needed to get up and showered and face the day.

She was so stupid, why didn't she go get the morning after pill, she was so busy with the wedding stuff and upset about everything that happened with Daryl the night of the wedding she had never given it a second thought. She rubbed her lower belly.

She let her tears fall, she didn't know what was going on with Daryl, she had seen him 4 times since the time he picked her and the car up that night, each time he kissed her goodbye. She had gone to a seemingly low key movie night with Maggie and Glenn only to find Daryl was there. She was supposed to go there tonight and she knew he would be there.

She didn't want to tell him, she needed to process all this. The first thing was that she need to go see a doctor to confirm what she already, knew. 

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 4 months and 2 weeks she said waving the wand over her belly, and it was a boy, they could both see it hanging out there. Her doctor had been able to squeeze her in a cancelled appointment. Carol knew when she concieved the baby, she didn't sleep around unlike Daryl, god knows how many baby Mama's he had out there.

She gave her a printed picture of her baby to put on the fridge and a script for pre natal vitiams. Carol wandered down the road looking at her picture towards the chemist to fill her script. Walking inside it seemed to be filled with everyone she knew, including Merle Dixon who appeared to be in the condom isle. Its a shame he didn't give some to Daryl. 

Merle spotted her. Carol quickly tired to hide the scan photo in her purse quickly, he was watching her shoving it in there. Raised his eyebrows.

'Good afternoon Carol, when you going to put my brother out of his misery?' He joked with her, knowing that Carol was blocking Daryl's every move.

'Never Merle, I don't need that sort of drama in my life!' Carol moved to the head of the que and handed over her script. She saw Merle paying and leaving with his bounty and waited for her stuff.

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Carol stood in front of her mirror in tears trying on pants after pants, nothing fitted, since being confirmed everything felt tight and uncomfortable. She had nothing to wear, she really had nothing to wear. She looked at the time, she knew the mall would still be open, she needed clothes fast to hide her growing belly. She pulled on the pants she had on for the doctors wiped at the mark on the legs, tried to clean her face, but she could do nothing about her red rimmed eyes and went to buy something that fitted.

Carol moved quickly and fast through the shop to the maternity wear looking at different outfits that didn't look like you were pregnant. That's what she wanted she didn't want people to look at her and even though her belly was still tiny in the clothes she normally wore any excess fat or bump would be noticeable.

Carol found 5 outfits fast, she really needed to do something about her underwear and bra, they were killing her. She flicked through bra's in the department store quickly finding soft bra's that her breast craved. 

 What was she going to tell Daryl? Would he even believe that it was his after one night together, not even one night together, one sexy romp on a office chair.  _Fuck, never have i felt like more of a slut!_ Carol got into her car to drive home.

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Feeling slightly better about herself she put on her new clothes that made her look pretty, and sort of sexy at the same time, if Daryl hit on her again tonight she was going to let him, she knew she had to tell him. She couldn't hide it forever, he could decide if he was in or out.

She did her make up and her hair, smoothing down her clothes, she painted her mouth, and sprayed perfume on. She stopped looking at her baby picture on the fridge took it off found Daryl's business card in her drawer and picked up the phone to call him.

Her mouth was dry. 

'Hello?' Daryl answered, she knew that he knew it was her, he had caller id.

'Are you gate crashing Maggie's and Glenn's tonight?' She asked. Daryl's soft laugh come over the phone.

'You going to be there?' He asked.

'Yeah I need to talk to you, after, can we watch the movie, then, go somewhere to talk?' Carol asked him.

'Whatever you want! You know I want you!' He stated, it was the first time he come right out and said it. She swallowed wondering if he would still want her after he heard her news.

'I know!' She whispered over the phone. She tucked the baby picture and his card around each other, tucking them both in her bra. 

Carol walked out to her car with a smile on her face knowing that everything was going to be ok, she was met with a blow to the head and a kick to her side. She was screaming as she fell to the ground. Her ex husband Ed had finally caught up with her. Carol's scream's alerted the neighbours as the neighbour raced out of his house to find him punching her in the face. Tackling him off her and holding him until the police and ambulance arrived.

Rick and Shane instantly recognised her, as they bundled her into the ambulance. She managed to grasp Rick's hand to mumble that she was pregnant before she passed out.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

'Pacing the room won't make her get here any sooner Daryl, sit down!' Glenn growled at Daryl when he got up and checked out the window for like the hundredth time. She was late nearly an hour late.

'You don't understand, she actually rang me to ask if I was going to be here, she wants to talk!' Daryl muttered pulling back the curtains so he could see if she had arrive.  _Where the fuck was she!_ He was just about going insane waiting wondering if she was actually going to give him a chance to date her. 'She wants to go out somewhere and talk, so I'm wondering why she isn't here yet!'

'She will be here, she's probably just doing her hair or something!' Maggie walked in putting out a plate of cheese and crackers, 'Daryl, you know we can't keep setting up theses dates, pretty soon your going to have to admit defeat!'

'No!' Daryl growled, 'She's the one, just I can't explain it, you wouldn't understand!' He sat down for all of thirty seconds before looking out the window again. He pulled out his cell phone looking at the screen like he had been doing off and on for the past four months. If only she would give him a chance, even a chance to explain Andrea.

No one understood how he felt, he wasn't a stalker, it just felt like coming home or something, like he was supposed to be with her or something, the way her body felt in his hands at the wedding, the way her face blushed when he looked at her almost like she was reading his thoughts.

Merle said he saw her today at the chemist, she was getting a script, he was hoping she wasn't sick or something. Maybe he should go by her house or something, or ring. He didn't want to look desperate but she filled his dreams and he couldn't stop thinking about that night on the chair at the wedding.

'I'm going to turn the movie on, she won't care, if she's this late already, she might not be coming!' Glenn stated. He sat there thinking, she didn't usually not ring, he went to the kitchen to call her home phone it went to answer phone after a few rings, then he rang her cell phone it kept ringing with no answer. That was odd. She always had her phone, it was a safety thing ever since he helped her leave Ed.  _Fuck_! Now Glenn was beginning to pace the house.

Daryl gave up and pretended to go to the toilet and rang her cell phone, nothing she didn't answer.

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'She just say she was pregnant?' Shane asked Rick as Rick was helping the medic's load her into the Ambulance. Rick nodded holding his friends hand while they put a line in her. He looked down her now exposed belly, there was a baby bump there. How had they all not noticed. To be honest he never looked at her like that not properly anyway, not taking in every curve of her body.

It was easy to see if they didn't notice, she still pretty tiny, he didn't know much about baby bumps, but it was a bump bigger than she normally looked, normally she was as flat as a board.

The Medic was cutting through her bra, Rick and Shane glanced away, the female medic past Rick a piece of paper from the inside of her bra. He opened it up and saw a baby scan taken that day wrapped around Daryl Dixon's business card. He looked at the tiny baby picture, then at Daryl's card. Quickly putting two and two together.

'Is she dating Dixon?' Rick asked Shane, holding up his card and the scan photo.

'I don't know, I heard they might of had a thing, at the wedding they were all over each other and then apparently he was caught in bed with Andrea or something!' Shane stated.They both snorted thinking if that was the case Daryl would be a dead man and Merle would be in jail. No one touches Merle Dixon's women.

'Well he threw her over his shoulder like a horn dog at the wedding photos, so maybe, do you think he's the Daddy?' Rick asked Shane. 'They disappeared for a bit at the dance and he come back with hicky's on his neck! I remember Michonne pointing out that!'

'I heard he's been panting after her since then and she hasn't given him the time of day! I'm not to sure on the details, I mean we don't usually sit round discussing Dixon's love life you know. Just play some pool and stuff!' Shane stated, thinking about everything. 

'You go with her Rick, I will clear up the crime scene with the others.' Shane backed out of the truck.  _He might accidently bang Ed's head on the car door getting him in the back too!._

'Should I ring Glenn?' Rick asked Shane. Shane nodded. Glenn and Carol were tight, Besties, they talked every day. They had met at college and he was the only friend that didn't bail on her and come to her aid to help her get out of an abusive marriage, though Glenn she had met everyone else.

'They are best friends, he helped her get away from Ed two years ago, he will want to be there for her!' Shane told him.

'Rick, this scan is dated today, and if I do my math's right this baby was conceived around the time of the wedding, so do you think its Dixon's baby, maybe you should ring him too!' Shane told Rick, Rick nodded scrolling through his phone. Looking for phone numbers. He glanced up and noticed that Shane had accidentally slammed Ed's head into the side of the cop car while putting him in the back to take him to the station.

 

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Daryl was slowly going insane, Rick kept ringing his phone he kept hitting end so to leave the line free in case Carol rang. Merle rang a few times, he hit end. He knew he was sending Glenn insane, he couldn't help it. He kept pacing the room. Glenn kept looking at his phone, Carol hadn't rung. In the end they talked themselves into popping over to just check if she was ok.

Bang bang bang. Someone was knocking hard on the door. Glenn looked out the window and saw Merle's truck in the drive.

'You cunts not answer ya phones no more? Been trying to ring ya for the past couple of hours!' Merle growled at Glenn, as he pushed past them into the house.

'Carol's ex got her tonight she's in a pretty bad way in the ICU! Rick's been trying to ring you arseholes!' Merle looked around seeing Daryl react the way he knew he would react, racing to the truck screaming at Merle to move his truck to let him out.

Merle jogged out behind him and moved his truck as they watched Daryl's tail lights go down the road.

Maggie and Glenn followed at a slightly slower pace, actually closing the door before roaring down the road behind Daryl and Merle.

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Daryl was on his phone hitting redial hopping Rick would pick up his phone,  _Fuck he should have insisted he pick her up if she wanted to talk!_ Rick filled him in briefly on what was happening and would get him a free pass into the waiting room at ICU.

He parked on the road of the hospital and run through the carpark stopping long enough to look at the boards to find out where ICU was. He banged on the elevator buttons repeatedly until the lift come down to the ground floor.

He walked out of the lift trying to calm himself, he knew they would throw him out if he showed any sign of stress or drama, also he wasn't related or even the boyfriend. Rick was pulling strings to let him in here. He walked slowly and calmly to the viewing window. Looking in he saw Rick holding her hand standing beside her. Rick looked up and spoke to the doctor. Pointing to Daryl then he come out to see him.

'What he doing with that thing on her tummy?' Daryl asked, Rick gave his shoulder a squeeze. 

'Daryl they are checking for brain injuries and she has a few broken bones on her face. They knocked her out because they are trying to save the baby!' Rick told him, he watched him for clues to see if he knew about the baby, 'That lady is a obgyn!'

'The baby?' Daryl asked.  _Carol was pregnant?_

'Yeah she has some bleeding, they are looking to see where its actually coming from, that's a scan thing they are looking to see if there is a leak or something, he kicked her pretty hard!' Rick told him. 'In her side! She's bleeding down there so they are trying to figure out where its coming from with the scan!' 

'Kicked her?' Daryl knew he was repeating Rick he couldn't help it. He couldn't believe what he was telling him, he also couldn't believe some one hurt her.

'Daryl are you the baby Daddy? You might need to make some decisions here!' Rick told him calmly.

'Me? The baby Daddy, fuck I don't know! How pregnant is she?' Daryl asked. His gut sunk to the ground waiting to hear what he would say. Rick passed him a scan photo that was still wrapped in his business card.

'She had that in her bra when the medic's cut her clothes off her!' Rick said. 

Daryl stood there and unwrapped the blurry print out looking at the dates and things in his other hand he held his business card he given her over 4 months ago. 

'Did you have sex with Carol around the time of the wedding?' RIck asked him, Daryl just stood there nodding starring at the little picture that indicated that it was a little boy, his little boy.

 

'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

'That lady in there, Did she say.................when did she find out she was pregnant?' Daryl choked out his words.

'Well we are lucky that's the doctor she saw today, she found out today!' Rick stated.

'Yeah I'm the baby Daddy!' Daryl whispered leaning his forehead against the window watching them studying the small blurry screen. They indicated that Daryl and Rick could come in. They washed their hands entering the unit again. The doctor turned and looked at them. Pointing to the screen where they could make out a tiny baby moving its arms and legs.

'He's perfect! Nothing I can see that wasn't there this afternoon, the bleeding isn't from the womb, its from somewhere else!' She turned to monitor to show Daryl and Rick better turning the volume up they could hear the heart beat.

'He's ok?' Daryl whispered, his voice coming out in a choke. He tried to swallow down a huge lump in his throat. He took his eyes off the screen taking in Carol's form for the first time, his eyes had only been on the screen when he walked in dreading that they were going to tell him there was something wrong with the baby. Already attached only knowing about him for 5 minutes.

He felt tears fill his eyes when he looked at her face, it was bruised and black and blue, it didn't look like her, he could see a huge bruise on the side of her body. 'She's got some broken ribs, they want to do a scan.'

Another doctor came into the room. Looked at both Daryl and Rick, 'Which one of you is the Dad of junior here?' He looked at them both, noting that Daryl was the more emotional one started talking to him before they could answer.

'We are going to run a full body scan, we need to find out what's going on in here!' He tapped his head, 'And in here!' He pointed in the general area of the stomach. Daryl and Rick nodded indicating that they understood what he was saying.

'There are limited risks to the baby, she is still bleeding and we need to find it. Stop it! We may need to operate on her!' He told Daryl. Daryl's head was swimming with information. All of a sudden they were pushing paper work at him asking permission to operate on her, and his baby.

'I'm not her husband!' Daryl told them, putting his head in his hands.

The doctor looked at him. 'Are you that babies Daddy?'

'Yeah!' Daryl mumbled. He hoped so, he was sure this is what she wanted to talk about,  _she only found out today and she rang wanting to talk with him, the dates fit._

'This form is for the baby, read it, if you don't understand it ask me I will explain! Who can sign for the mother?' The doctor asked him.

'Glenn probably, I think he's listed as her next of kin!' Daryl mumbled. He looked up to the waiting room window, Glenn's nose was pressed against the glass watching what was happening.

Daryl stood there watching Carol breathing, he bent down and kissed her gently, this wasn't the way his night was supposed to go, he wanted to beg her forgiveness and tell her that Andrea was Merles, no his, it was just a big misunderstanding. 

They were going to prep her to operate, scan her first then fix the problem, the bleeding wasn't slowing down, he had about 5 minutes to read and sign the forms.

Daryl walked out to the waiting room, Glenn was sitting beside Maggie reading through his own set of forms. He flicked through it, he had no choice on his part, she needed to have the bleeding stopped.

Daryl was reading his own forms, his was basically telling him that if it come to a choice between the baby and the mother the mother would be chosen, with a heavy heart he closed his eyes and signed the form giving them permission to end his babies life if it meant saving Carol, he really prayed it didn't come to that. His baby was to little to survive outside of Carol, so he hoped that both would be saved and finding the bleeding wouldn't be complicated.

'What are you signing Daryl?' Maggie asked him generally interested. He just shook his head, wiped is eyes took the form to the nurse and stood by Carol holding her hand until they took her from the room to sort scan and operate.

'How long? How long till we know?' Daryl asked the nurse. 

'Well it wont take long to scan and then we will know what we are doing!' She told him, he looked like a broken man, she couldn't help feel sorry for him.

'Can I go outside will ya ring me when ya know, if I'm not back?' Daryl asked her. She nodded, he wrote his number on the top of Carol's next of kin form in the ICU. He walked out past Glenn and Maggie, Rick had gone back to the police station to help process Ed. No one had told them about the baby yet, he couldn't quite get the words out.

Daryl run into Merle sitting outside on a bench seat.

'Thought I would just wait here for ya! Rick told me about the baby!' Merle commented, leaning back looking up at the stars. Daryl hunted around for something, chewing gum anything to fiddle with in his pocket to distract him.

'I had to sign a form stating that if they had to chose between them! The won't save him, Merle, if things go bad, they won't!' Daryl's words were choked, he tried not to cry in front of Merle but he couldn't stop himself. Merle didn't tease him just put his arm around him. Let him cry.

Daryl's phone rang, his gut lurched, as he said hello and listened to the other end.

 

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

Merle and Daryl stood side by side in the lift. He felt sick to his stomach dreading what they were going to tell them was happening. Glenn was pacing the waiting room and Maggie had her head in her hands.

'They taking her in for keyhole, there are a couple of small tears in the lower part!' Glenn pointed to his side and down near his groin. Daryl felt relief to a point, key hole wasn't as bad and cutting her open. He felt like he could breath a little better.

'They told us Carol is like nearly 20weeks pregnant!' Glenn stated looking at Daryl. 'Yours?'

'I think so, I mean she didn't say, she rang me today wanting to talk tonight after the movie at yours!' Daryl run his hands over his face and began to chew on his thumb a little, thinking about it, he thought the baby was his, he hoped the baby was his. If nothing else to give him more access to Carol, hopefully something more. 

She still was the first thing on his mind in the morning and last thing on his mind going to bed at night, he often replayed the wedding over and over in his head, having sex with her. He really wanted to make love to her as the hard fast sex in the office at the wedding dance wasn't enough.

Then Andrea, drunk had stumbled into his bed and not Merle's. He knew Glenn had tried to tell her but she had said she never wanted to hear him talk about Daryl with her again. She basically cut him off. Apart from the few times Glenn and Maggie had tricked her, and got them in the same space together, sparks between them flew.

 'That baby doctor the ob thing said she found out today!' Daryl mumbled. 'I am assuming its mine!' He hoped so, he wasn't about to admit to anyone that sometimes late at night he would take a drive by her place and take note if their were any strange cars in her drive. Not that he was stalking her, he didn't do it every night, probably more once a week when he was actually legit doing stuff and going somewhere.

It really wasn't a issue due to the fact her place was on a common route for him to go to the local shop, and he would drive past to buy stuff and happen to look to see if she was home. If she was home it took all that he had to keep driving. He was still kicking himself tonight that he didn't offer to pick her up.

'What, when did you guys hook up to have a baby?' Maggie asked, 'Do I want to know?' Maggie did want to know she wanted details, she couldn't quite work it all out, she knew that Daryl and Carol had a falling out right at the end of the night, so it would mean they would have had to have sex at some stage during the wedding reception.

'Probably not!' Daryl mumbled. He wasn't about to admit to everyone that he had a quickie at the wedding dance because they both couldn't keep their hands off each other. She wanted it, he wanted it. It was no one else business what they did or where they did it.

'Ewwww Daryl at our wedding?' Glenn asked. Glenn looked at him wondering where, what, how and why he managed to do this when Glenn thought Daryl was near him all night long, they must have slipped out at some stage and no one noticed. 

 Everyone stood as a surgeon walked into the waiting room, wanting to talk to Glenn, Glenn told him that everyone present was Carol's family. He told them that they had stopped the bleeding, baby's stats were fine and they wouldn't know any more until she woke.

Her head injury was another issue, until she woke they wouldn't know if their was any problems. They intended to keep her asleep for the next twelve hours at least. They should all go home and get some rest. She would likely be moved to high dependency unit tomorrow, if today went well.

Daryl felt relief but at the same time worried about the injuries to her head, her poor face. Glenn and Maggie left. Merle sat with Daryl until the wheeled Carol back into the ICU. They let him visit with her for a while before kicking him out. He watched the baby heart monitor on her belly trace the baby movements and heart beats for a while.

A nurse come over telling him he needed to leave it was way past visiting hours now, it was 4am in the morning. She smiled at him telling him that if he slept in the waiting room, she would let him in 5 minutes every hour until the morning. He nodded and left willingly, not before bending over and kissing her.

Daryl stretched out on the long bench seat and rolled up his jacket for a pillow and went to sleep quite quickly. Merle left saying he would bring Daryl a change of clothes in the morning. Daryl nodded.

He just wanted Carol to wake up and tell him what he needed to know, tell him she was going to let him in. Tell him that she was going to be ok.


	8. Chapter 8

Daryl wasn't alone pacing the waiting room waiting for them to wake Carol up. They were slowly reversing the drugs they used to keep her asleep. There was a bit of a crowd there, Rick and Shane arrived before they started their next shift. Maggie and Glenn. Merle had fronted up to keep an eye on Daryl.

'When can I see her?' He had asked the doctor. He had been told they couldn't make any promises about anything until they woke her up, then it would be more than likely that she would be extremely tired, today, tomorrow and a few days later.

She wouldn't be going anywhere until she was eating and drinking. Functioning on her own, then she would need someone with her at home until she was back to her normal self. He stood there nodding, wondering how they were going to make this happen, and would Carol let him help.

'We are going to wait till she wakes and see what happens. We can't make any promises about anything!' The doctor had told them. Daryl sat down he was tired. Really tired, his eyes kept shutting, he felt like he was drunk. Glenn had given him food to eat.

Everyone was surprised to see Daryl sitting there one moment and snoring the next then jerking himself awake to pace the floor and then sit to snore. Merle in the end told him he would wake him the moment they gave them any news.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carol could hear someone talking to her, she was struggling to make out what they were saying, her head was pounding. She struggled to open her eyes only to have lights flashing in them. She tried to push it away with her hand. It felt like waves crashing through her head, _where the hell was she?_  

'Carol your in hospital!' Came a voice, Carol couldn't understand what was going on. She was supposed to be going to Glenn's. Walking out to her car to meet up with Glenn, Maggie and Daryl was the last thing she remembered. How did she end up in hospital.  _She needed to tell Daryl._

'You have been hit in the head, your baby is ok!' Came the voice again. Carol moved her hand down her body feeling her tummy the best she could she had a arm and hand full of lines and things. She felt her bump.

'Listen!' The voice said, Carol listened and heard the sounds of the baby the same as she heard at the doctors office when they did a scan of the baby. Carol nodded her head, the baby was ok.

'Ok?' She tried to say, her mouth was dry and croaky. She was offered some ice chips to wet her mouth. God, she was sore, her face. Everyone would be freaking out wondering where she was. Glenn would be frantic, Daryl? She didn't know if he would even think to look for her, she had been so off guard with him since the wedding.

'What happened?' She whispered towards the person near her. She couldn't quite bring herself to open her eyes, she didn't know if she could, her head, her eyes, she knew from past experience she might have a black eye. She tried and managed to crack her eyes to look at the person talking to her.

'You were attacked outside your home!' Come a voice beside her not wanting to give her to much to think about. It all made sense now, she remembered the blow to her head and screaming as she fell, Ed! She felt her baby bump again, feeling relieved he didn't know about the baby, other wise he would have done more damage there. Her side was sore, but she had heard the baby.

'Look I have some people in the waiting room all dying to see you, I can only let one in at a time, who do you want to see?' Come the voice. She wanted to see them all, she wanted to tell them all about the baby, she wanted to tell Daryl it was his baby. 

'Is.............. is........' Carol stopped talking thinking that he wouldn't be there. She didn't show up and she said she would, would he be mad or annoyed that she told him they needed to talk and then didn't show up. Her head was pounding, it was a long shot to ask if he was there.

'There an extremely handsome man who's been sleeping here since you arrived yesterday, do you want to see him before he wears the lino off of the floor off the waiting room?' The voice said. Carol nodded, thinking that it would be Glenn, he had paced halls before while she had been married to Ed. He was the one who helped her leave. She needed to let her know she was ok.

She heard a noise by her bed and a cough as someone took her hand. She knew it was him, Daryl, not Glenn, she could feel it. She could feel the heat coming from his body even with her eyes shut. She cracked her eyes again taking him all in. He looked tired, he looked like he had been crying.  _Because of her?_  

'Hey!' Came a soft voice almost sounding like it was choking. She looked again, it was because of her. 

'Daryl, I'm sorry!' She whispered. She felt a hand squeeze and soft lips touch hers briefly. She was so tired, her head was sore, she couldn't keep her eyes open any more, she needed to sleep. She held his hand tight

'The baby? Mine?' Come his voice, she was too tired and she just nodded her confirmation, as she drifted back off to sleep.

 


	9. Chapter 9

By the end of the day they transferred Carol to the high dependency unit where two people were allowed by her bed. A large room with a nurses station so everyone was visible to them. Friend come and went sitting beside her all day. Daryl had planted his arse in one of the seats beside her until Rick dragged him away to eat something. Glenn made him go get a coffee later during the day, mostly he began a sit in beside her.

Carol drifted in and out all day, periods of time being away for 5 minutes then sleeping for hours. Merle finally managed to move Daryl once he got kicked out at 8pm for end of visiting hours. He was tired and stressed out of his brain. All these thoughts going through his head.  _Maybe he should have pushed harder to get her to listen and they would have been dating by now rather than backing right off and giving her space._

At her awake times she told him she just found out about the baby, he told her Andrea was Merle's sometimes girlfriend, sometimes they were together and sometimes they hated each other. She had nodded that she understood what he was saying. They couldn't have deep and wonderful conversations that she wanted to have with him because she could hardly keep her eyes open. A few sips of water here and there to try keep her mouth moist.

She nodded and accepted it. Held his hand and her friends slipped in and out all day. He stayed the whole time. Maggie come to sit by her, rubbing lip balm on her dry mouth to help stop any more cracks from forming there. There was a big split at the side of her mouth, and she told Maggie that it felt better when she put the cream on it. He was left the balm by Maggie to put it on every couple of hours so her mouth didn't crack any more than it needed to.

He woke her to tell her he was going home for the night, that if she needed him, they would ring for her and he would come. He really hoped they wouldn't ring for him because if they were going to ring it meant that she wasn't doing ok. He wanted her to have a safe night, sleep deep and let her body heal.

She nodded, her head was clearer than it had been all day. She looked at him, he had been holding her hand every time she woke, the one time she woke he wasn't there Glenn and Maggie, told her he was eating dinner with Rick and would be back shortly. Everyone could see how Daryl was with Carol, it had surprised them all that his feelings had run so deep. It had blown everyone's minds when they found out he and Carol were having a baby.

'Tomorrow?' She asked him, hoping that he would come back to sit with her even though she spent the whole time sleeping.

'Yeah as soon as they will let me in!' Daryl told her. 10am was a long time away, he was going to try sweet talk the nurses here to let him in earlier.

He left to go home, Climbing into his truck that was still parked on the side of the road where he had left it more than 30 hours ago. He hadn't left the hospital in that long. He needed to have a shower, eat and fell into bed. The past 30 hours had been intense. Not to mention that there was a baby on the way. A baby that they hadn't planned on. Daryl yawned and tried to fall asleep. He didn't think he would ever fall asleep then the next thing he woke up with Merle standing over his bed.

'Ya got to go in, Carol's having contractions!' Merle shook him awake, he looked at the time it was 3.30am in the morning. He groaned as he rolled over in the bed. Reaching around on the floor to steady himself as he crawled out of bed.

'What? What does that mean?' Daryl asked trying to wake up.

'Them things, the pains before a baby comes! The hospital just rung and Glenn's also on his way there. They are trying to give her something to stop them!' Merle told him. Daryl was pulling on  a shirt. Merle handed him deodorant and a leather jacket. Daryl stood there looking like he didn't really know what was going on. Merle handed him his wallet and indicated that he should put shoes on.

As he was leaving the house Merle passed him a sandwich and a coffee in a travel mug. 'Eat, and Drink its prob going to be a rough night, call me!' He patted his shoulder. Daryl stood there for a moment longer.

'Fuck Daryl, I'll drive ya your likely to crash ya truck or something, come on!' Merle was dragging him out to Daryl's truck. Daryl sat there drinking his coffee and eating. Feeling like he was about to lose his freaken mind.

'Ya want me to come with you?' Merle asked, Daryl shook his head, he could see Glenn walking through the car park, he climbed out of the truck and walked towards him. Glenn looked like he probably had cried the whole way driving.

'I'm going to kill that man, I'm going to kill him!' Glenn told Daryl as they walked into the hospital. Daryl was right behind Glenn's idea, first they needed to see what was going on with Carol. They rode the lift in silence and walked slowly towards the information desk. The night nurse led them towards where Carol was. She was on a baby monitor and they were monitoring her.

'I've given her something to try stop labour, I can't promise anything. We are doing our best.' The young doctor stated. 'Her body has been through a lot of trauma, so the next few hours will be telling, they will either increase or decrease. If they decrease they should start decreasing soon. At this stage the baby stats are fine! We have also given her something to make her sleep so her body can relax and try heal! Hopefully that combination will work!' 

The doctor led the way to Carol. Her belly was exposed, and a sheet across her breasts to give her some modesty, she had another line in. 3 drips running into her Daryl counted. The obgyn was running another scan to see what was happening with the baby. She looked up as Daryl and Glenn stood side by side at the side of her bed. Daryl reached out and stroked her belly.

'Baby looking good at the moment. If we can just get her body to calm down a bit and rest some more hopefully we can keep this little guy in there!' She told Daryl, he just nodded looking up and down Carol. He was opening and closing his fists he really really really wanted to punch someone. 

'So your the husband?' The obgyn asked, she had got rough details that Carol had been attacked by the ex husband, these men were next of kin and Daryl was, well they were not sure what Daryl was. Daryl didn't know what he was either.  Daryl shook his head. 'Boyfriend?' He shrugged, he didn't know what he was.

'That's mine!' He pointed to the belly and the monitor, 'I'm hers if she wants me!' The doctor nodded. He certainly was hers, she had seen him there since she arrived never going far from her side.

'Well lets ride the next few hours out and lets see if we can get you your baby and your girl through safe!' She smiled at him and wandered off to check charts, taking notes, watching to see how the contractions were going from the end of the bed.

'Talk to her, she might hear you you never know, it might help calm her body. You could just talk to each other and include her. How did you all meet, or you too, tell her about that. It all will help!' She told them.

A nurse brought them over coffee and Glenn and Daryl told her how they met and what sort of adventures they got into. People come and went checking her. Finally as 8am hit the Doctor announced that she hadn't had a contraction in 2 hours so they could safely say she was out of the woods. They would keep her asleep for as long as possible maybe the whole day.

Daryl and Glenn were just about dead on their feet. Glenn left for a while while Daryl dozed at her side off and on most of the morning. Merle stopped by to check on them, brining him lunch. Carol slept and her body rested. Unaware of anyone sitting beside her or people coming and going through the day

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

In the end Merle put the hard word on Daryl that he couldn't just sit at the hospital with Carol, he needed to get his arse back to the garage because babies needed stuff and things, diapers and stuff. Daryl needed to help him keep the business afloat so he had money to buy stuff that was going to be needed for Carol and the baby.

So 5 day's after Carol entered hospital Daryl pleaded with a nurse at 7am to be able to visit her briefly as he ducked in in his work clothes to tell her he would come at lunch and after work. She was one who had taken pity on him when she was in the ICU so one smile from him and she let him in.

She nodded that she understood that he had to work. She wouldn't probably be returning to work for a long time, she understood that he needed the money to help her support the baby, the fact he was thinking that way was good for her.

Daryl still felt guilty all day. He ended up having to work through his lunch to finish a job with Merle and get it out of the shop, it was a huge paying job, he couldn't let Merle down. He rang the hospital to check on her while stopping to drink a coffee. They handed the phone to her to speak he quickly told her he would come after he showered. Did she need anything to which she said no.

He was dirty and covered in grease from having his head in a engine. Stopping in the shitty little flat above the garage to shower and change his clothes. Merle stopped him and made him sit and eat a burger that he had gotten from the little take away down the road. Daryl was ansty as his leg bounced waiting to get out of there to the hospital. He thanked Merle for thinking about him and helping get him food because that was the last thing on his mind. He also knew if he didn't eat he would crash and burn.

Arriving at the hospital he walked in noting that Carol had been moved to a ward that was not high risk, it made him feel better. He handed her a handful of mags he brought at the gift shop downstairs. On a whim he brought a baby mag as well as gossipy ones. He had no idea what she read. A book had caught his eye it was a book written by a comedian on fatherhood, he brought that too to read if she was asleep as she often was when he was there, which usually left him chewing his thumb.

Daryl's dad was an arsehole dad, he didn't know what real Dad's actually did. Daryl's Dad was a drunk and a abuser. Daryl planned on not using him as a role model at all and if it meant he had to read every book there was he would. He walked into the ward to see that Carol was upset and a nurse was trying to encourage her to get out of the bed. She had her sitting on the side of the bed with her legs hanging over the side, trying to encourage her to stand.

'What's going on?' He asked Carol and the nurse. The nurse was looking flustered like she was starting to get cross with Carol and Carol was shutting her out not listening to anything she was trying to say to her.

'I been trying to get her to take a shower all day and she doesn't want to move in case the baby falls out!' The nurse told him. 'She needs to start moving and going to the toilet, not in the bed!'

As far as Daryl knew the baby couldn't just fall out. He had seen enough scan's in the last 5 days to see it was inside a secure place almost like a balloon and it wasn't just going to fall out on the floor. Carol's face flamed, it become apparent that she must have wet the bed because she wouldn't tell them or ask for help to go to the toilet.

But Carol's fear was real. She hadn't been out of bed at all, they had been changing her clothes and giving her sponge baths since she had been in hospital. He had noticed the smell this morning he didn't realise it was Carol. Now it was pointed out to him he could see why the nurses were trying to get her in the shower. 

'Carol if that baby was going to fall out he would have fallen out by now!' Daryl tried to tell her, she burst into tears sitting on the side of her bed, he walked around the side of the nurse sitting on the bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her the best he could. She didn't have any lines in but her ribs were still sore and the huge bruise on her side was painful.

'Sorry I didn't mean that! I seen a lot of baby scan's he looks really tight and snug in there, going to the toilet or taking a shower won't make him fall out!' Daryl tried again. He looked around the nurse pulled the curtain around them to give them privacy.

'Does she have to just go with you, Can I help her?' Daryl asked the nurse.

'She needs someone to be there, she can sit on a seat in there! Her friend has brought in all this pretty stuff for her to use. Nice fresh pyjama's and everything! I'm sure you will feel better once you wash your hair and get freshened up Carol!' The young nurses voice was soothing to Daryl, he couldn't understand why she wasn't jumping to have a shower. He was holding her, he must have very very strong feelings due to the fact if Merle smelt like this he would be on his own.

Dried blood and urine smell was not a great combo. 'Come on Carol, we don't want ummmm!' He jestered to the young nurse.

'Rosita!' She told him.

'We don't want Rosita here to lose her job because you won't take a shower!' Daryl told her gently. Carol looked up at the nurse and nodded her head. Accepting she would shower.

'I'm not walking though it might fall out!' She whispered. Daryl handed her the toilet bag, PJ's and towels and then picked her up in his arms and followed Rosita to the bathroom, Rosita smirked the whole way as she had seen this handsome man at Carol's side for days. She had hoped he would show up to help her talk Carol into having a shower. A couple of the nurses had been trying all day, she knew if she timed it right he would arrive to help her get it done.

Daryl stood there with her in his arm's as Rosita fiddled with the shower to get it warm, it was a big room to get it done. She piled up towels on the counter and hung up Carol's stuff on the hook so it wouldn't get wet. She showed him where to put all the soiled clothes. Where the call button was. Then went to walk out.

'Your going to leave me?' He panic'd he didn't know if that was a good idea, he was still holding Carol. Who looked happy enough to be with Daryl.

'There is a call button, I'm sure you will be fine, I'll come back if you ring it!' And she shut the door. Daryl stood there looking around the room with Carol still in his arms.

'I'm sorry, I'm so embarrassed!' Carol hung her head knowing he was going to have to help her get out of her smelly clothes. 

'We will be fine! Don't worry, just let me know if I'm doing anything that hurts!' He sat her on the other plastic chair to help get her hospital gown off, then the pants. He shifted her to the plastic chair. There was no way to do this without getting soaked. His gaze flicked over her bruised body, briefly stopping on her breasts. 

He pulled off his shoes and shirt, he thought about his pants then thought he didn't want to be sitting around in wet pants pulled off his jean's. So standing in his boxers, he used the hand held shower nossel to start washing her. Offering it to her to hold. Squirting shower gel onto a soft sponge for her to use where she could. The water was running a little brown as he helped was away traces of blood that had been stuck to places unnoticed by the sponge bath's . 

'Your ok?' Daryl asked, he knew she was going to have to stand up, they couldn't get to the area's that really needed cleaned. 'You put your hand on my shoulders and I will support you while you wash..........' He indicated where she needed to wash. He crouched down so she wasn't reaching up high for support.

 'What if the baby comes out?' She asked him. She was really scared about it. She knew she dodged a bullet not losing the baby.

'Well I will catch him!' Daryl stated. 

 Carol put one hand on his shoulder then pushed herself up leaning on him to wash, Daryl tried not to look down as her breast were hanging near his face, hitting his head as she moved.  _Come on dude she not interested in anything like that!_ He couldn't control other parts of his body reacting to her. He got out of his couched position and helped her sit back down to help was her hair. 

1/2 later he had helped dry her and convinced her that it would be ok for her to try walk the little way back to her room. He quickly re-dressed himself and put  his arm around her waist to help her walk, he got her back into bed when Glenn and Maggie arrived. Rosita had changed her sheets and her dinner was waiting for her. Carol picked at it for a while before falling asleep. 

Daryl kissed her and left to go home to sleep himself.

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

'Carol you know the baby isn't going to fall out right!' Rosita the nurse told her. 12 days after her attack they were still having issues with the basic's to  point they were thinking of calling in a counsiller for her to talk to. Going for a shower and the toilet was still a major issue. She was happy to shower with Daryl's help but often going to the toilet left her in a panic. It didnt' help she still had some internal stitches that she felt pressure on every time she went. 

'Of course I know that! I'm not stupid, I just don't want to do anything that might dislodge it,' Carol told her, she wasn't stupid, she was 30 she knew it wouldn't come flying out but it was a new irrational fear since her attack. In her head she knew it was a screwed up thought, babies didn't come flying out but she nearly lost him twice in the past 12 day's. She knew he wouldn't come out _But what if she fell? or Tripped or walked to fast and banged into something!_ She couldn't help it.

She spent the past two years with Glenn's help getting her life back on track and with counselling encouraged by both Maggie and Glenn had put her back on top of the world. One attack from Ed had filled her head with irrational ideas that she couldn't stop flying around. She had only been married to Ed for a short time, but in that short time he had fucked with her mind, making her think everything was her fault.

During her short marriage which was actually shorter than the time she had been separated she had lost all her friends, her job, nearly her life. She lost her job because no one wanted a teacher teaching their kids showing up with black eye's or bruising around their neck. Ed had isolated her from her friends. He never managed to scare or shake of Glenn who stopped by a lot. Ed was a little frightened of the Asian guy full of muscles who also had on that final night given Ed an old fashion beat down as he walked in on Ed with his hands around her neck trying to choke her.

For months Carol had been down playing the abuse trying to avoid Glenn but Glenn being stubborn as he is wasn't backing off and leaving his friend when he knew something wasn't right. Carol had been hiding it from him for nearly a year. Never meeting up with bruises on her face, wearing long sleeves to cover bruising. Glenn wasn't a stupid man and really pushed it when Carol had rung him that night to let him know she was sick, in reality she knew Ed was on a bender and things were not going to go well for her.

Now Carol felt she was right back to where she was, back trying to pick her shit up and get back on top again. Only this time she was trying to do it with a baby in tow. Daryl hadn't made any commitment to her. They were more than friends but they still hadn't worked the rest out yet. She knew she was going home with Glenn and Maggie for a while after she left the hospital. She hoped Daryl wouldn't back off once she left here. 

'Your not going to do anything that might dislodge it. Its stuck up there, for it to come out your going to go into labour then the baby will come! You will know right!' Rosita told her. Carol wasn't they only person she had come across after a trauma that worried that something might upset the baby. Carol had taken a real beating. Her confidence was shot and getting her to walk to the toilet was a mission. Rosita didn't want them to call in someone in case they decided that they were going to put her in a different part of the hospital. Maybe the doctor and her could have a word with the boyfriend and Glenn. She would talk with Sasha after they got her to the bathroom.

'You can't wait her till your boyfriend comes to take you to the toilet, come on I'll walk with you,' She told Carol, thinking that talking about her handsome boyfriend might help motivate her to get walking.

'He's not my boyfriend!' Carol pouted.

'Sweetie you better tell him that then........ Cos If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck its a duck,' Rosita told her. 'He's your boyfriend,'

Carol blushed, she was starting to feel better, her face looked better, her bruising was calming down and changing colour, but she still had this fear ever since she went into labour she may do it again, and if she just lay still in bed till he was due it would keep him safe.

'Look you can still do stuff, people run, swim, walk, have sex all while pregnant. Just check if and when with a doctor when you can have sex though,' Rosita was matter of fact talking about sex with all their pregnant mothers. 

'Sex, sex is the last thing on my mind,' Carol hissed at her, her face flamed if only this nurse knew how she ended up pregnant she would be horrified at her behavior.

'Ok ok, you better tell your boyfriend that too,' Rosita smirked at her, she saw the sparks flying between them. She had come into the ward to find them asleep in each others arms on the small bed more than once at the end of visiting hours to send him home. With the curtain pulled around them she had seen how close Carol got to him, he had his arm's wrapped right around her.

She felt bad every time she woke him, she couldn't let him stay because she was on a ward. Tonight she was moving to her own room with a tv, as a first step towards getting home. She had also set up a lazyboy which pulled out into a bed with some blankets if he chose to stay he could.

'Come on lets go to the toilet then we will move your bed and stuff into your new room!' Rosita told her. She signaled to another nurse who pushed her bed through and Rosita pushed her cabinet through also. Daryl would be happy if he had to help her tonight it come with its own bathroom and she could shower alone an leave the door open if need be. 


	12. Chapter 12

Daryl and Glenn found themselves being escorted into a little office at the hospital like they were in trouble for something at school. The young doctor indicated for them both to take a seat. She then began to talk with them about some issues they were having with Carol. They were here to pick her up to take her back to Glenn's, Daryl began to panic that they were going to block them from springing her from the hospital. He glanced at Glenn who was thinking the same thing.

Daryl was surprised that it had taken this long for someone to point out that her fears were not normal, Glenn nodded in agreement and told them he would get in contact with her counsellor that she had been going to since she left Ed the first time. She had been seeing her regularly until the other day. Glenn had already made contact with her to set up appointments for her to come visit the house a few times a week for the next few weeks.

Daryl had been wondering about Carol's mental health a lot since the first night he helped her shower. Gone had been the sassy women of the wedding even the 5-6 set up dates by Glenn and Maggie, she was almost broken. Unable to process normal thoughts without irrational fears creeping in. He was hoping trying to get her back to some sort of normal might help her relax a little. She seemed to be getting worse the longer she was in hospital with people asking her if she was ok all the time.

He didn't know if this was normal or not after what had happened to her, he did know he wanted to help her, support her. They were here to collect her and take her to Glenn's house, where Maggie had arranged to work from home from a while in case Carol needed anything. It was impractical for anyone else to stop working to looked after her till she could return to her own home, even back to work.

He knew that her fears were really real to her, to him they were a little strange but because she found her fears so traumatic even using the bathroom was becoming a issue. He hoped being with Glenn and Maggie she might be able to shake some just getting back to some sort of normal. He really wished she could go home and he could help look after her but that was impractical due to his working. He just needed to help Glenn get her sprung.

'If we promise to get her counselling can we still take her home today?' Asked Daryl, unsure if they were blocking her from leaving, he thought maybe being out of hospital might help ease her nerves a bit. Being able to lie on the couch and watch a movie together sounded pretty good right now. Even going through a fast food drive through would be a hot date.

'Yes you can still take her home provide there is someone with her for the next week or two and you bring her back in two day's to have a check over,' The doctor told them. Glenn signed the sign out paper work, then started to leave the room and was walking down the hall when the doctor call Daryl back and shut the door. She handed him some pamphlets.

'I have already told Carol so now I am telling you, No sex for at least ten days........... I am not joking, and here are some flyers with helpful positions while pregnant, I will see you in two days,' The doctor told him. Daryl's face flamed bright red. He looked at the ground and stammered something that made no sense. He hadn't really thought about it, well he had thought about it but just assumed that that would be a no go area.  _He'd never been with a pregnant women before what would he know._

'I'm not about to take her home and have sex with her................ Hell I don't even know if we are dating,' Daryl whispered to the doctor, he was so embarrassed about what they were talking about, they only had sex that one time, he didn't even know if they were going to have a relationship or try co-parent yet. He didn't know if she wanted him like that, he wanted her, he told her before the attack he wanted her.  _Maybe he should tell her again, did she remember?_

The doctor raised her eyebrows, 'I'm assuming that baby didn't get in there by itself Mr Dixon?'

Daryl's face flamed again and he stammered to try and say something. 'Read the flyers Mr Dixon, if you have any questions feel free to ring the number stamped on the back of the pamphlet that will bring you through to my office.'

Daryl just stood there nodding clutching his pamphlets. The doctor nodded and left the room with Daryl looking down at flyers on how to have sex while pregnant in his hands also a post it note on a book to buy. Daryl walked out of the office straight into Glenn.

'What the hell were you doing man?' Glenn asked him.

'Getting the pregnancy sex ed class,' Daryl muttered waving his pamphlets around in front of him. Glenn started snickering.

'Are you for real? They gave you pamphlets on sex positions?' Glenn took a flyer to look at the pictures. Daryl tried to grab them back. He finally gave it back, Daryl folded it and tucked it into his back pocket to read later.

'I might have to borrow that from you,' Glenn stated, Daryl glanced at Glenn.

'Oh reeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyy! Do you have something to share?' Daryl asked his best friend. Glenn nodded walking down the hall. 

'7 weeks................' Glenn stated, Daryl shook his hand.

'Congrats bro,' Daryl told him.

'Thanks Daryl ummmm I never said congrats to you either. Well done on knocking up Carol in secret at the wedding,' Glenn teased. Daryl took his hand and shook it again.

They walked into the ward Carol was packed and waiting for them she was crying, Daryl looked around to see why she might be crying he couldn't see a reason.

'What's happening? Why are you crying?' He walked up and hugged her wondering if something happened.

'Your both late, you said you would be here half an hour ago!' She told them.

'Sorry, we got caught up signing stuff, and Daryl got a lecture and now we are here,' Glenn told her picking up one of her bags, 'Lets go,' Carol had already said her goodbyes to the staff and clutched Daryl's arm the whole way to the exit in case they changed their minds and made her stay. Daryl moved his arm and had it around her shoulder hugging her to him while they waited for Glenn to bring the car around.

'What were they giving you a lecture on?' Carol asked Daryl. He looked down at her and smirked.

'Sex,' He whispered. 'Ummm Carol?'

'Yeah?'

'I wana say something before we get you back to Glenn's before Glenn gets back with the car, don't interupt me ok or I will forget something!'

'Ummm ok?' Carol began to worry.

'Before ummm Ed got ya you rung me, and I told you I wanted you............ That's still true, baby or no baby! It makes no difference, it was always about you the baby makes it better!' Daryl took a breath and kept talking. 'I want to be yours................. Ya partner, your lover.......... Yours, I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine,' Daryl looked across the car park noticing that Glenn had made it to the car and he wouldn't have much time.

'I don't know how good I will be as a Dad, but I want to promise you I will be there, I'm going to buy into Merle garage and support you, us and the baby, I want to be a better man for you,' Glenn was driving closer to them starting to slow down. 'I want to be a man your proud of, not ashamed of, not some arsehole redneck no more..................... I want to be your man........................For life, I'm offering you that if you will take me?' He quickly bent down to kiss her, she looked him in the eye.

'Shit Daryl was that a proposal?' Carol asked confused. Glenn stopped getting out of the car rabbiting on about sorry he took so long. Daryl just stood there hugging her unsure of what to say. _Fuck did he just propose?_  

 

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize for the chapter of my work hard drive Lost all my work of my hard drive hopefully i'll be back up and running again in a few days

Daryl climbed into the back of Glenn car after they got Carol into the front seat. Glenn was filling in the silence, they were going though a drive through to get food for them all, Maggie had put in a huge order. Carol didn't seem to be limiting her choices either. Did pregnant women do this? Eat like truckers. He handed some money over to Glenn to pay for their order he just managed to slip in a order of his own. 

Two burgers one with bacon one without, also a cheese burger, fries, milkshake, nuggets, ice cream, and soda, Daryl wondered if she was going to eat all that. Maybe she would, she had been on hospital food. Glenn didn't look to surprised at her order. 'Can I also get a wrap?' Carol asked Glenn. Glenn put through that over the speaker also. Daryl started counting out more money quietly in the back seat and handed that over to Glenn also.

He pulled a list out of his pocket for Maggie and shouted that into the speaker also. He ordered himself a couple of burgers.

Daryl told Glenn his order, 2 burgers, fries and a drink. He didn't have a great deal of experience with women, a few girlfriends, a few one night stand's but he knew enough about women never to question what they were or would not eat, or the amount to eat. If she wanted to order it and didn't eat it all he was sure he would fit it in. Do her a favour and eat her left overs.

He leaned back on his seat and rested his head on the back of the seat thinking, thinking hard. He always thought he might like to get married some day. His brain was trying to catch up with what his mouth said in the car park. Did he actually propose or not? And if he did would she say yes. _Did she say yes?_ Or was she asking if he was asking?

He knew his feelings were strong, beyond strong he wanted her. He didn't know if they were ready to get married, not tomorrow. He wanted to spend time really getting ready to know her more. He really was just making her a promise, a promise to be there for her and his baby.  _Fuck wasn't that what a engagement was?_ This was too confusing, he didn't know what he was thinking. He just knew he never wanted to let her go. He didn't want her to go away.

He knew one thing the last few months since Glenn's wedding is he thought about her every day, since the attack he had been by her side as much as he could. He knew he wanted her, he didn't want her to be away from him. It ripped his heart every night until she got her own room to leave her alone.  _Shit!_ He was going to have to get Glenn alone tonight and pick his brain without Carol noticing. Hopefully she would be too wrapped up in all her food to notice them.

The food order come to the window, Glenn started passing it into the back seat beside Daryl. It was piling up beside him. He snagged a chip and Carol glared at him for eating when she had nothing, he pulled another one and waved it at her she took it and ate it quickly. Thankfully it was a 2 minute drive to Glenns.

Daryl was going to be a gentle man and escort Carol into the house but she told him to bring the food now, Maggie come racing down the path towards them cuddling her and held her arms around her all the way inside.

'Glenn, Glenn, I need to talk to ya!' Daryl told Glenn. Glenn walked over.

'Not now, soon, tonight once we feed them, other wise they might kill us if we don't get this food up to them,' Daryl told him. 

'Ok, give me the nod,' Glenn told him. 

Daryl and Glenn walked inside putting the bags of food on the kitchen table, were were they doing this. Maggie looked through the bag and piled food out until she had an empty bag then refilled it with her own order. Carol watched and did the same until all that was left was 4 burgers, some fries and a couple of drinks. They took their minor meal into the lounge to sit with the girls. 

Carol was sitting on the floor leaning back on the couch. Daryl wondered if she shouldn't be sitting on the couch, she pulled the coffee table towards her so she could reach her food better. Daryl stood there for a while longer then  stood beside her lifted his leg around her so he was sitting behind her so his legs were planted either side of her body. He put his burgers and chips on the table, leaning forward bending to kiss her on the side of her neck.

Daryl unwrapped a burger and started putting chips inside his the way he always did. Carol stopped and watched him. 'That looks good,' She told him, she glanced around at him.

'You want it?' He asked. She nodded and he gave it to her then unwrapped his next burger and started putting chips in that one. 'That looks really good Daryl!' Maggie told him.

'For fucks sakes!' He handed her his burger. He scoffed down his chips before they took them too. He was really hoping that the girls would run out of steam on eating and there would be left overs or something. Either that or he and Glenn were going to have their chat on the way to get more take out. He was starving. He sucked down his drink eyeing the chicken nuggets.

 He reached over to take one.

'Don't you dare! You should have ordered your own,' Daryl leaned back with his head on the back of the couch. Carol and Maggie didn't look like they were slowing down.

'Congratulations Maggie,' Daryl said looking at her, remembering that she and Carol had something in common.

'Glenn you told him. Its supposed to be kept quite until we hit 3 months,' Maggie tapped Glenn's arm. Daryl smirked at the fact he was getting Glenn in trouble, took another drink of his drink

'I couldn't help it, they were giving him flyers with sex positions for when your pregnant,' Glenn stated.

Daryl's drink went spraying across the room and he started choking as his drink went down the wrong way. He stood up coughing stepping away from the couch and table into the kitchen as he tried to calm his coughing. Glenn started patting his back. 

'Sorry dude,' Glenn muttered.

'They gave you flyers about having sex with someone who was pregnant?' Carol asked.

Daryl threw the flyers on the coffee table for them all to look at.

'Me and Glenn are going to get something for me to eat you girls ate my food,' Daryl told them as he dragged Glenn down the hall. 

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about updates, Writing from memory as lost everything on my hard drive, going to try update all fic's today. please stay with me. Thanks for all the awesome comments on all my fic's they keep me writing, remember is you want to see something I usually can fit requests in.

'So what did you exactly say Daryl?' Glenn asked as they were driving through the drive through to buy him some food.

'I'm not too sure it went something like this. I want you to be proud of me gonna buy into the Merles business............ ummmmm I want to support you and the baby. I wanna be your man, and I want you to be mine, or something................' Daryl looked out the window and started looking at his fingers.

'That's all you said?' Glenn looked at him after he put the order through.

'I might have said something about a promise,' Daryl muttered  'I want to be yours............ Ya partner, your lover, '

'That's it Daryl that's all?' Glenn asked again, getting his burgers through the window passing them to him. Daryl unwrapped them began eating quickly.

'Can you believe they ate my dinner? If I get back there and they have food left over I am going to eat theirs,' Stated Daryl.

'Don't change the subject what else did you say that she thinks you might have proposed Daryl?' Glenn asked.

'Ummm don't spread it to Merle, I also told her, I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine........................' Daryl mumbled.

Glenn looked at him and pulled over on the side of the road so Daryl could eat. He turned sideways on his seat looking at him and nodded encouraging him to keep talking.

'And, what else did you say while you have verbal incontinents Daryl,' Glenn smirked at him.  

'I don't know how good I will be as a Dad, but I want to promise you I will be there,........... Fuck Glenn, I'm fucked...................... I'm going to buy into Merle garage and support you, us and the baby, I want to be a better man for you,' Daryl mumbled so Glenn could  barely hear him. He nodded and raised his eyebrows in a question as if there was anything else Daryl had said that would make Carol believe he proposed to her.

'I want to be a man your proud of, not ashamed of................................ Then I think I told her something about  not wanting to be some arsehole redneck no more.................  I told her I want to be your man........................... For life, I'm offering you that if you will take me?' Daryl looked at Glenn. 'That's it, that's all I said, I swear.'

'Fuck! Daryl, I am not a chick but it sounds like you made her some fancy promise there, a proposal is a promise anyway. Just run with it. Do you want to marry her?' Glenn asked.

'Maybe,........................ not today, we don't know each other well enough. I don't want her with no one else either, I want them with me,' Daryl mumbled.

'It doesn't matter if you don't want to get married right now. Shit Maggie and I were engaged for 2 years before we got married,' Glenn looked down at his wedding band. 'You don't have to get married tomorrow. You just have to let her know that you are committed to her and the blob!'

Daryl laughed at his calling the baby that. 'Yeah I don't know, what if she wants to do it like soon, like I don't even know what side of the bed she sleeps on...................... What if we end up hating each other, then I never get to see my kid?'

'I don't think it will ever come to that Daryl, its not about being allowed to see him, there are courts for that stuff if it ever happened. You just need to let her know your intent that you want her, and him,' Glenn stated, starting the car up again to head back to Glenn's house.

'But I don't know how to be a good anything really, look at my track record. I always fuck it up somehow,' Daryl stated.

'Well don't listen to Merle, don't get caught with drunk chicks in ya bed, tell her if your confused or what ever! I fuck up most days............... Your best bet is to say you done something wrong before she finds out and if she finds out admit to whatever charge it is. You forgot to put the rubbish out, change the toilet paper roll, apologize and move on!' Glenn told him.

They slipped into the house, found Maggie lying on the couch groaning, she pointed to the left over food, apparently their eyes were bigger than their bellies. Daryl and Glenn started picking through the food eating what ever was left.

'Where's Carol?' Daryl asked.

'She took a shower and has gone to bed. She said if your staying you can stay with her, if your not, don't wake her to say goodbye,' Maggie lifted her head a bit so Glenn could sit down that end so she could rest her head on his lap.

'What does that mean? Maggie? Help me out here?' Daryl walked around the couch to look at her.

'It means stay........................... Don't go home, go snuggle and kiss or whatever, no sex. There's a tv in the spare room you could watch a movie or something,' Maggie turned her head back to the tv, Glenn was rubbing her back.

'You sure?' Daryl mumbled.

'Go!' Glenn said pointing down the hall. 'Don't wake us up when you go to work though ok.'

Daryl went into the spare bathroom near Carol's room took a shower due to coming straight from work. He looked in his small over night bag and actually pulled on pj pants and a tee shirt. PJ pants he actually brought and washed yesterday in case he ended up spending the night. He usually slept naked, he didn't want to do that to Carol or even sleep in his undies in case he offended her in some way.

He rolled on some deodorant not his usual brand but a non smelling one, as she had told him the other day his normal brand made her gag. He brushed his teeth. Shoved his clothes into the bag and made his way to the room. He stood outside the door, he sniffed himself to make sure he didn't smell to over powering of anything that would make her gag, and knocked at the door.

'Yeah,' Come the voice within. Daryl peeked in, looking at her lying on her side watching what looked like the opening credits of a movie. It wasn't late, 8pm.

'You ok, if I stay the night?' Daryl asked her, she nodded for him to come in. He dumped his bag near the wall. He walked around climbing in behind her arranging the pillows so he could still see the tv over her shoulder which was bare peeking out of the top of the sheet.

'Sorry I ate your dinner, I left you some of mine, my eyes were bigger than my tummy,' Carol turned to look at him, he bent quickly kissing her mouth, giving her a first real kiss since everything happened. He had given her a few peeks coming and going, this time he got tongue  in his mouth, he groaned pulling back. He was going to have more of a problem in a moment.

'It's ok, I got that, and a couple of burgers, next time I will just double everything I am going to eat if you going to do that to me every time we eat,' Daryl told her.

'Snuggle me,' Carol said. Daryl moved so his body was hard up against her back, moving his pillows, then wrapping his arms around her discovered she was only wearing panties.

'God your killing me,' Daryl groaned. Trying with all his might to keep his hands under his control from moving on their own.

'Sorry I always sleep naked. You don't look the type to wear PJ's Daryl,' Carol told him.

'I brought theses yesterday, cos of you, I sleep naked,' Daryl mumbled his hands moving across her stomach.

'Is that my baby? or is that my burger?' Daryl asked running his hands up and down her bump. Carol pushed herself back into him, feeling his hard on pressed into her back.

'That's your baby,' She rolled over kissing him hard on the mouth, they stayed that way kissing and touching each other, Daryl couldn't help himself running his hands over every inch of her. Carol put her hand into the front of his PJ pants and stroked him firmly until he came in her hand. He shuddered against her shoulder, groaning.

'I never done that before,' Carol told him.

'What? That?' Daryl asked stunned. She handled him firmly and seemed to know what she was doing.

'Yeah!' Carol said. Daryl knew better than to ask assuming it had something to do with her ex, he didn't want to talk about him while they were touching each other in bed. He was rubbing her clit, he kissed his whole way down her body, putting his mouth where his fingers had been sucking her, licking her and kissing her down there until he heard tell tale noises that she was going to come in his mouth. Which she did and she did hard. He kissed her a bit longer, thinking this would be his new favorite pass time, if he got to hear her making those noises.

He moved his way back up her body kissing her again, and snuggled her to him kissing her neck. 'Should we rewind the movie or go to sleep?' She just sighed and tried to get as close as possible into his chest to go to sleep. He reached for the remote and rewound it to the start and watched while she slept in his arms against his chest.

 

 

 

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

Daryl rolled out of bed before anyone was awake in the morning he knew he wanted to stay but he also knew he needed to get his shit together and get his arse to the workshop and start doing some jobs before Merle gave him a big talking too. Carol knew he wouldn't be there when she woke. He looked at the clock on his phone and knew he needed to get a bit of a move on before someone started tooting outside.

He shoved himself into his clothes and creeped out of the room down the hall pulling on his shoes and locking the door behind him. He stood there having a smoke thinking he really should give up, he didn't want to smoke about Carol and his kid. He dropped the butt and looked up and down the street.

After standing there rubbing his hands together for a bit Merle come driving down the road to pick him up and take him back to the workshop. They were both quiet on the drive back until Merle finally asked.

'How is she? The baby?' Merle asked. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck, slowing down for a crossing. Checking for cars he kept going on. There were not many cars about at this time of the morning. Daryl was hanging out for a coffee and something to eat. Merle pulled up to a early morning bakery.

'Good, she's sleeping, got to go to get checked out again tomorrow make sure the baby still ok then next week then probably back to whatever they usually do with them!' Daryl mumbled. Merle nodded and got out went in and come back quickly with two take away coffee's and something for both of them to eat. He passed half to Daryl.

'You happy?' Merle asked him.

'Yeah, I think so, I mean, I want them both,' Daryl muttered.

'But are you happy?' Merle asked.

'Yeah, yes I am, very happy,' Daryl told him. 'I could have done without the attack and just had her tell me about the baby though,'

'Yeah we could all done without that. My little nephew Daryl, he's a fighter,' Merle muttered. 'He's a Dixon alright!'

'Not a Dixon Merle! Don't know if Carol will give him that name, haven't talked to her about any of that stuff yet,' Daryl mumbled as they drove into the workshop yard. Merle pulled the car to a complete stop. Pulling on the hand break. He looked across at his brother before getting out of the truck.

'Thought you claimed it Daryl,' Merle got out of the truck walking into the office area. Using his keys to unlock the doors. Walking inside the offices. Turning on lights and flicking on the coffee machine in the smoko room. Daryl trailed along behind him drinking his coffee watching Merle as he went around turning stuff on.

'Yeah, but its up to her, what ever she wants................. I can't make her do stuff, if she don't want to,' Daryl told Merle. 'Not going to force her! I am going to asks her.'

'For fucks sake Daryl, Don't be a pansy arse! Everyone in a five state radius knows you been trotting after that women since Glenn's wedding........ Go buy her a fucken ring!' Merle growled at Daryl. Daryl had been mooning around talking about her, not quite stalking her, but asking for different ways with friends to get him invited along to places where Carol was.

Daryl smirked at Merle thinking back over Glenn's words coming over from last night not to listen to Merle but Merle was right. He should offer her a promise ring/engagement ring he wasn't sure what he should do or go about it. He really didn't have the money either to go buy a ring at the moment anyway. He been working for Merle and most of his money had been going into cover a bank debt that was now paid off. Living with Merle in the small flat upstairs had made it possible to sort everything.

Now he and Merle had worked out a way for Daryl to buy into the business by working there. Brothers are blood Daryl Merle told him. Signing over half the business knowing that Daryl would put the hard work in. He already helped turn things around for the short time they had been working together. Daryl's name quickly got out there and people kept bringing trucks in for him to work on.

The past few weeks had been rough on the business and on the brothers. Daryl needed to get his head back in the game and put in the hours to help Merle catch up. He already decided that he was going to work his arse off to get money for his family, Merle and him were going to be pulling long hours. Things were better. Daryl and Merle just needed to get the work done that they had in the shop, and everything will be go well for the business.

'Here, take my card, buy her something, get her the prettiest ring you think they have,' Merle handed over his cash card. Told him the amount of money that was in the account. Daryl was surprised when he said take it all if he needed.

'How did you get so smart Merle? Like I thought you were going to give me shit about this,' Daryl muttered. _For fuck sakes Merle was actually making sense._

'Tell you something, that night, you where leaving here, they thought you were losing the baby.................. I rang Andrea, we sorted our relationship out. Been out there buying my own ring............... Just ain't told ya yet!' Merle actually blushed. Daryl looked at him, really looked at his big brother who was standing in front of him blushing.

'You blushing Merle?' Daryl asked. Merle was hard as nail's and never would normally speak about mushy shit.

'Shut the fuck up,' Merle growled at him. 'I will deny everything................Yeah I put my claim in and she accepted.............. Been a real arsehole surprised she hasn't kicked my arse to the curb before now!'

'I'm warning you Daryl, you repeat this conversation to anyone I will give you a black eye you will have to explain away to your Misses ok,' Merle turned and walked into the work shop, flicking on the radio and singing along with a rock song. Daryl just stood there with Merles cash card in his hand shaking his head. He pulled out his wallet and put it in there following Merle to ask for the pin number.

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

'Hurry the fuck up Daryl!' Merle growled from under a truck as Daryl was leaning into it from the top moving the lights around trying to find the problem with it. They both had been underneath and hanging over the top now one was underneath and one on top trying to find out what the heck was happening with it.

'Fuck's sakes shut up! Let me look,' Daryl growled back he was hanging over the edge balancing on one foot trying to look inside. He was getting slightly worried that he was going to fall in and do himself a misfit and get himself in the balls or something. He tried to put his hand over them and lean in further, it wasn't working he had to use both hands to move the light. He prayed to the Gods that he wouldn't hurt himself. 

'There,' Merle shined his light on the leak he could see. He rolled out from underneath the truck and looked around on the shelves to the right stuff to fix the problem. Thank God Daryl though. Finally they had been working on this for ages and time was moving on and the shops would now be open. He didn't want to go buy a ring but he wanted to at the same time. 

'Shop's are open now Daryl, or is my Nephew going to be born a bastard,' Merle growled at him looking at the clock. Merle had been watching the clock as well as Daryl. He seemed really keen to get this as sorted as Daryl did.  He also had been quite accepting of the baby also. He seemed really keen to give the baby the Dixon name.

'Shut up Merle, I need to think about this,' Daryl stood there, he still wasn't sure about it, if he got it wrong or not. He walked over picked up the phone and dialed a number. He was hoping for a push in the right direction from a female point of view.

'Hello?'

'Maggie, its Daryl,' Daryl chewed on his thumb a bit wondering how to go about drilling her for answers.

'I'll get Carol for ya,' Maggie told him. 

'NO! want to ask ya something,' Maggie stopped talking and waiting for him to talk.

'What is it?' Maggie asked him.

'Have you talked to Carol, did she say I asked her something?' Daryl whispered into the phone, he didn't know why he was whispering unless he was on speaker she wouldn't be able to hear him.

'She thinks you might have asked her to marry you or something but she's not sure?' Maggie told him. 

'So if I did ask her would she say???????' Daryl held his breath waiting for the answer.

'God Daryl! Did you ask her or not?'

'Maggie if I brought her a ring would she say yes or no?' Daryl countered.

'Yes, she would say yes,' Maggie told him.

'Ok that's good to know,' Daryl told her.

'So Daryl are you going to ask? or did you ask?'

'Got to go, thanks, wait, ........... is there a size or something??' He wondered if there was a size or something. 

Maggie gave him some details over the phone and Daryl stood there nodding into the phone, writing down some stuff, said thanks and hung up.

Daryl stood there for a moment before pulling off his overall and shoving the note in his pocket of his jeans. 

'Merle I'm going out for a bit!' He called out. Merle looked at him.

'Ya want me to come or are you not going to be a pussy about it?' Merle looked at him.

'Did Andrea like ya ring?' Daryl asked. Daryl was wondering if he should get Merle to come help him.

'Yeah she thanked me over and over, if you get what I mean,' Merle smirked and indicated to his dick.

'Fuck ya gross! Come on then help me out, leave ya mouth behind though ok,' And with that both brothers headed off to go buy Carol a ring.


	17. Chapter 17

'Don't stand so close Merle, your making me nervous,' Daryl was fighting hard to keep his breath steady, looking at all the rings was hard. They should just have a selection of like 5 to choose from that would be so much better for him. He didn't know what he was looking for but these rings wasn't it. He had a whole tray of rings in front of him and he was picking them up and looking at them one at a time, hoping that one would call out to him and tell him that was the ring to buy.

'Man up Daryl, what about that one?' Merle pointed to a very pretty ring with a very pretty price tag. Daryl picked it up. It sure was pretty but it wasn't the one. At least he didn't think it was the one. He put it into the maybe side. Merle wasn't to bad at picking out the pretty rings, he had had enough girlfriends that he knew what girls liked. Daryl tried to keep his breath steady.

Merle picked one up to show him, Daryl shook his head, that wasn't it either. 'No, It looks tacky.'

'Christ Daryl, your worst than a chick,' Daryl knew it shouldn't be this hard but he wanted to be sure he didn't want to go in half arsed and buy something he would regret having to look at later. He was going to be holding her hand and looking at it, he didn't want some half arse ugly ring on her finger.

'I'll know it when I see it,'  _God I hope so!_

'Daryl you just about looked at every ring in this shop,' Merle was starting to get frustrated with Daryl ummming and arrring with each ring. He was taking his time, at this stage they wouldn't be getting out until after lunch time. They still had lots of work to do at the work shop.

'No I haven't,' He really hadn't he still had another two trays to go through. He was trying to keep his shit together. Looking without getting to stressed about the ring, but it was hard trying to buy the best one for Carol.

'Ya have!' Merle whispered in his ear.

'Shut up,' Daryl growled back, elbowing him.

'Show me that one?' Daryl finished with that tray and pointed to a ring he stopped in the tray under the glass, the lady pulled it out and handed it to him. He was right, it called to him, it felt warm in his fingers, he held it up to the light.  _That was the fucken one alright, it was her ring!_

'That's it its the one,' Daryl told the lady, he turned and looked at Merle and smiled.

'Thank fucken god for that! Ring it up! You heard the man, don't show him anything else, put it in one of those fancy boxes and hope she says she will marry his swarny arse!'  Merle declared to everyone in the shop. A small cheer went up. Everyone working in the shop was weary as it had taken nearly 3 hours for Daryl to choose a ring, a new record they thought.

'Merle, shut up,' Daryl blushed red at the cheer and Merle's words.

'Just helping ya out little brother,' Merle slapped him on the back.

'I wish to god I didn't bring you in here,' Daryl muttered. Daryl's face was flaming, the ladies behind the counter had been watching both brothers a great deal noting that they were extremely handsome men, the younger one seemed to be on a mission, they knew who ever was getting the ring that taken so long to choose was a very lucky lady.

'No you do you took forever for me to drag your arse in here,' Merl told him. It was true, he had stood outside looking in the window for at least ten minutes before getting inside to actually start looking at the rings.

They left the store, 'Thanks Merle, I'll pay you back as soon as I can,'

'Its ok Daryl work some over time and shit it will work out with the amount of new customers ya brought in in the last few months consider it your bonus from me,' Merle told him.

'Your joking,' Daryl stopped in the street looking at him.

'Yeah, also don't want my nephew to be no bastard neither................ If he has to have a Dad, you be good at it,' Merle muttered, thinking about how different he and Daryl were, Merle would have run for the hills if he ever knocked someone up. He had been lucky never to leave a trail of child support. Always wrapped it.

'Daryl do you have any idea how much work you been bringing into the workshop the past few months, honestly this job alone is bringing in up to 10k......... by the time we get through all the truck, which will be a week long, that's huge, and its all your wheeling and dealing with the different companies you been approaching for work................... Your turning the garage around, which is why I want us to be partners. Don't want to lose you,' Merle told him as they walked down the road to the truck.

Daryl fingered the ring box in his pocket. 'Really, I didn't really know, been busy haven't even looked at the books and stuff,'

'I know, I have we are in the black man............. Consider this a bonus............ Things are looking up for us brother, up and better, we just need to get this truck out by 9am though. Might need to call your old lady and let her know you may pull an all nighter,' Merle told him. Daryl looked at him and nodded.

 

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Daryl picked up the phone to call Carol. It was late, he felt like an arsehole, they finally stopped for dinner after working all day. Time had gotten away on them both, they only stopped because Andrea had brought dinner over for them both. Huge casserole with veggies and stuff. Daryl was eating his as fast as he could looking at the time actually realizing that it was 8pm he hadn't called Carol all day.

He felt really guilty, he put her ring in Merle's office desk when they got back to the workshop, had eaten some food while looking in the engine, stopping to go to the toilet and making coffee. Andrea had shown up like a goddess bearing food for them both. Daryl was extremely appreciated of her efforts to keep Merle like a kept man, bringing food for him was a bonus. He thanked her and went to the office with his plate to call her. Merle had Andrea on his lap taking ten minutes to spend with her. 

'I'm not coming tonight,' He blurted out when they finally past the phone to Carol.

'What, did I do something wrong?' She sounded hurt.

'Nah got a big job on will be late when I finish," He felt terrible, he was scared she was going to cry over the phone.

'You can come after,' She asked him.

'It could be 3 in the morning I can't come then' Shit she really wanted to see him. He should have rung her during the day.

'You could,' She asked again.

'I don't want to wake you!,' He would feel like shit waking her early in the morning.

'I won't mind,' She almost sounded like she was pleading with him.

'The baby, you need to sleep,' He couldn't go there in the early hours of the morning. He tried to work out how long it would take them to get the engine done. A least another 5 hours with both of them. They needed to put it all back together.

'I want you to come,' She asked again

'I will be useless, will be beyond tired, I will just arrive to sleep,' He told her.

'I don't care!' She honestly sounded like she didn't care.

'Really?' 

'I want to see you,'

'Really? Your not just saying that?' He was surprised at the way this conversation was turning out. If she wanted him to come he could shower then go. It was like a 4 minute drive he could do that.

'Tap on my window or something,' She told him.

'Like I'm in high school?' He chuckled thinking that Glenn would have his hide climbing in a window in the dead of the night.

'Yeah? You did that?'

'Once! I got chased down the road by a Dad,' Daryl muttered into the phone.

'Daryl, be serious,'

'I am........... I nearly pissed my pants,' He did, he thought the Dad was going to remove his balls.

'You will come?' She asked him again

'Tell you I will text you when I finish, see what you say then?' Then if she didn't answer he would know she was dead asleep

'Ok, Daryl,..............'

'Yeah?'

'You sound really tired you had dinner yet?' Carol asked him.

'Yeah eating it now,' Looking down at his nearly empty plate.

'OK text me!' She told him softly into the phone.

'Ok Make sure you don't wait up for me go to bed ok,' Daryl told her.

'Ok, night!' She hung up the phone.

Daryl sat back in the chair stretching, women, he didn't know what to think about it all. He knew they needed to get this engine fixed and then worry about other stuff.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At 2am Daryl found himself climbing in through a window at Glenn's house stowing in through the night like a teenager. It had actually turned him on, tapping and waiting for her to open it, waiting to be sprung by Glenn. She opened the curtains, in her panties and a tank top and his dick suddenly had a mind of its own. He could see the soft swell of her baby bump making her top ride up showing him a glimpse of her belly.

Merle was going to get up with the truck the next morning. It was also Saturday so he could go in anytime he wanted. Merle was going to hand the key's over and go back to bed. Daryl's plans was just to stay there in bed with Carol as long as possible.

He had text Carol she must have been asleep with her phone in her hand to reply so fast to his text. He showered first then text , so he could just go if she replied. He grabbed his bag and went through the office picking up her ring and shoving it in his bag and left. Waving good bye to Merle and Andrea who were climbing into bed upstairs in the small flat up there.

He tapped and she opened helping him into the room by pulling open the curtains so he could get in quickly. Daryl couldn't help it but he started to chuckle, she was giggling and they were both having fun. Daryl was beyond tired his eyes actually were watering because they needed to close. He swayed slightly hugging her to him. Bending down to kiss her.

'Hey,' He whispered.

'Come on, bed,' Carol whispered to him.

'Yes mam,'

'Don't you mam me,' Carol tapped him on the bum as he was pulling off his jeans dumping them on the floor. He pulled off his shirt, he bent down giving her another kiss.

'Don't sass me,' Daryl growled at her joking with her. She giggled again.

'Come on your barely standing.................. Come into bed,' Carol just pushed him gently into the bed.

'You going to marry me Carol?' Daryl whispered to her, pulling her into him for a cuddle. Leaning over to kiss her, moving to kiss her neck.

'Yeah I will marry you,' Carol told him. 'Because I want to not just because of the baby,'

'yeah, you going to marry me for sure?' Daryl groaned into her neck. 

'Yes!' 

Daryl rolled across her stopping to kiss her again, leaning down and kissing the bump reaching around in the dark for his bag pulling it up onto the bed. He shoved his hand around feeling in the dark for the small box.

'Got you something,' Daryl whispered in the dark. Carol leaned over him flicking on the light. Taking the box from him and opening it. She smiled when she saw it. She held out her hand for him to put it on her.

'Yes but I don't want to get married straight away though, ok, maybe not even until after he gets here................. Can you cope with that??' Carol asked him.

'Yeah, I can cope with that,' He took her hand and slipped the ring on. It might not be the most romantic proposal but it got the job done.

 

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

Daryl rolled over in the bed noting he was alone. He felt around the bed and she wasn't there, he looked at the clock and groaned it was nearly lunch time, he felt a bit shitty that he slept this long and she had let him. Where was she? Daryl rolled out of the bed stretched and sniffed himself he needed a shower and something to eat. He was going to go raid Glenn's cupboards and see what there was.

Then he wondered if he and Carol could go do something, go for a drive or just get out of the house go sit at the park or something. He pulled on his jeans and a tee shirt and cracked a window. The room smelt like him, he worried that it may make her feel a bit sick the sweaty smell in the room. He opened the door and wandered down the hall looking for anyone who was about. He saw Glenn sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper.

'Mornin'' Daryl said, stretching up to the ceiling and scratching his neck.

'Daryl, nice surprise,' Glenn looked at him up and down taking in his bed hair and bare feet, he soon realised he come from the bedroom not the front door.

'Yeah! Where's Carol?' Daryl asked.

'I'm good, You?' Glenn countered starring at Daryl waiting for him to make some statement about why he was there, in bare feet.

'Tired. How are you Glenn?' Daryl smirked at him, walking to the cupboards pulling out a coffee cup, putting bread in the toaster, getting himself a plate, making himself at home. Helping himself to food and a drink.

'Great, how did you get in,' Glenn raised his eyebrows knowing that the front door was still locked and he had spent the night on the couch because Maggie told him she couldn't bare for him to be near her breathing and making sucking in noises.

'Not telling! Make you a coffee?' Daryl asked him pulling out a cup to make him one as well.

'Yeah, the girls are talking to the white god!' Glenn muttered.

'What?' Daryl looked at Glenn.

'They are taking turn's to puke to the master bathroom,' Glenn pointed in the general direction of the main bedroom where there was a bathroom attached.

'They ok?' Daryl looked in that direction wondering if he should go help or do something.

'Morning sickness, I think they set each other off,' Glenn informed him.

'They can do that?' Daryl shook his head.

'Well Maggie was puking and Carol went in there to hold her hair then Carol puked into the bath, now one is hanging over the bath and the other into the toilet,' Glenn stated.

'And your sitting here reading the paper!' Daryl pointed to the paper and the fact he looked like he had been sitting there for a long time reading he was nearly at the end.

'Every day Daryl, every day, what can I do, they both yelled at me to get out,' Glenn stated.

'I'm going to go check,' Daryl started walking up to the main bedroom.

'You risk your life man!' Glenn called after him

'Willing to check,' Daryl called back.

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Daryl had seen vomit before hell he lived with Merle long enough to have had to clear up on more than one occasion their messes after a binge drinking session, he wasn't prepared for the sorry sight in front of him. Carol had her head resting on the side of the bath, her eyes shut trying to breath through her mouth. Maggie looked half asleep on the floor quietly sobbing with her arms wrapped around herself.

'Glenn get in here!' Daryl stuck his head out the door to call to him. Daryl reached over to turn the shower on hoping to wash some of it down the plug hole so they didn't have to pick it out with their hands. It looked like she had had toast for breakfast. He was beyond mad with Glenn for quietly reading the paper when both women were clearly in distress in the bathroom.

'For fuck sakes Glenn!' Daryl growled down the hall. Glenn finally come into the bathroom looked around clearly shocked to see what state they were both in. Taking in Maggies form crying on the floor he looked ashamed with himself. He looked at Carol who appeared to be panting now and felt even more embarrassed.

Glenn come in and took a look at Maggie on the floor picking her up and taking her off to the bedroom tucking her back into bed. He lay down behind her rubbing her back till she settled.

'You ok for a few more minutes Carol while I clean all this up?' Daryl asked. He had opened a window and was spraying the bath with some cleaner he found in the cupboard. He sprayed the toilet. He used one of their fancy bath towels to wipe up most of it off the floor. She nodded and crawled towards the master bedroom floor to get out of his way. 

It didn't take him long to clean it up he wasn't being fancy. Spraying the fuck out of everything and wiping it all off with the big towels. All the vomit was finally gone. He had half a basket of towels which Glenn now had Maggie asleep come and took to put through the wash.

Daryl gave the toilet and bath another spray with cleaner stuff and grabbed toilet paper to wipe it off, he sprayed the sink and used the shower head water spray thing to wash out the bath again.

Carol had moved into the sitting position watching him wash his hands. 'Your good at that............................ cleaning,' She told him.

'Merle a bit of a puker after he binge drinks. Need to keep shit clean, he never cleaned it. Vomit doesn't bother me, as long as you move fast,' Daryl told her.

'You feeling better?' He asked her. She nodded. 'You should have woken me when you were not feeling well, you didn't need to have this happen,'

'I was fine, I felt good until I saw Maggie going! Then I guess sympathy maybe?' Carol told him. Glenn come back into the room.

'Sorry Carol, I didn't realize you both were as bad as you were,' Glenn looked embarrassed. Carol nodded.

'Come on I need a shower, you need to wash your hair, we go use the other bathroom,' Daryl gave Carol a look and Glenn a glare as he walked passed him to help her up off the floor to go get cleaned up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

'Oh god its in your hair,' Daryl muttered as the walked down the hall, it didn't look that flash.

'Its Maggies!, Carol muttered.

'Fuck! really!' Daryl nearly puked in his own mouth.

'Yeah, I'm gona shower ok, you don't need to help,' Carol growled at him, she looked tired and cranky

'OK, you not going to fall or nothing? Your sposed to have someone near when your doing that,' He asked hoping she was going to let him into the bathroom and not lock the door, last thing he wanted was for her to fall or something in the shower. She was still quite weak from the attack.

'You can stand in the bathroom,' She muttered, knowing he was right and she needed someone there, at the moment it was a choice between Daryl or Glenn. She would prefer neither and couldn't wait till she could do anything on her own. She actually felt like crying all her hormones were all over the show.

'Are you mad?' Daryl whispered not wanting to upset her any more than she was already.

'No,' Carol growled at him.

'You sound kinda mad?' He put his hands up incase she lost it and clocked him one, for suggesting she was mad.

'I've got puke in my hair, I don't feel very happy right now! or very friendly!' She growled at him.

'OK, you got clothes you want me to get?' He looked into the room she was using at the bag of clothes there. Pointing to some folded clothes on the dresser.

'I've got clothes back at my house, I have got some pants in there and a top I guess,' She muttered, she was feeling really sorry for herself.

'You want to go to your house later and pick up some stuff,' Daryl asked her.

'Yeah, can we go there and stay there, I want to go home,' Carol was starting to cry, shit now what was he going to do. Of course she wanted to go home, when you felt sick and tired all you wanted was your own bed and stuff.

'Ummmmm you have to stay with Glenn for at least ten days. We got to go into the hospital to have a check up today too,' He muttered trying to work a way that they could do it.

'Can we stay at my house tonight, just you and me? Then come back here tomorrow, I just want to go home,' Carol asked him.

'OK, we can do that,' It sounded fair to him that they could go to her place for the night, he wasn't working and they could chill out and do nothing.

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daryl really didn't think things through before taking Carol back to her house, in reality he should have gone first to check it out. Maggie and Glenn had cleared out her fridge but nothing prepaired him for the big bloody stain in her driveway. He saw it as he drove up her drive and tried to park right on top of it hoping she wouldn't notice.

'I know what your doing,' She looked at him sideways in her seat. 'Your parking on the place where he attacked me,' 

'Yeah!' He looked at her waiting to see what she was going to do before attempting to get out of the car, then she started talking. 

'I know its there, I remember parts of it. Not all of it,' She told him. 'I remember Rick being there,'

'You want to still go inside,' Daryl asked her, she was making no attempt to get out of the car. She seemed to be stuck talking about it. It make his stomach sore thinking about it. He wanted to drive to the prison and beat the heck out of Ed.

'I remember being happy walking out to the car, going to meet you at Glenn's. I brought new clothes even,' Carol told him, he nodded his head, letting her speak.

'Yeah I know, I wanted to see you too, I was beyond excited when you rang,' Daryl told her.

'He stuffed it up for me again, and now I am having to try deal with it all again,' Tears were falling from her face.

'I'm here," He reached across holding her to him.

'I know but its not the same for you,' She whispered.

'Probably not, but my heart nearly broke when I saw you, and found out about him,' He rubbed her tummy, his hand going over her bump.

'I'm sorry, I should have asked you to pick me up, I shouldn't have been such a bitch for the past 4 months, in my heart I knew you didn't sleep with Andrea right after me I was just so mad,' Carol confessed.

'I should have tried harder to make you see me,' He countered.

'Maybe, maybe we both should have tried harder,' Carol whispered.

'I should have stopped, I drove past your house so many times,' Daryl confessed.

'I know I was sitting in the dark watching,' She looked up at him.

'You saw me?' Daryl blushed.

'Every Sunday night at 8pm Daryl,' She old him.

'That's bad right,' Daryl hung his head, his hands still around her and the other on the bump.

'Not to bad,' Carol told him.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 They turned the heating on, Carol changed her clothes while Daryl stood about waiting for her so they could go check in at he hospital.

At the hospital the doctor run the wand across her belly again checking out the baby making sure everything was ok. Daryl watched the screen he was getting good at reading these things now. He could work out what was a leg and a arm. Sometimes it almost looked like the baby was waving at him. They got the all clear at the hospital finally freeing them up and discharging her. 

'Should we stop at the supermarket for some food?' Daryl asked her as they pulled out of the car park.

'Yeah can we?' Carol asked.

'Should you be walking around the supermarket?' Daryl wondered out loud.

Carol looked at him then shook her head. 'I think I can, I mean, its not that much walking, I'm allowed to walk,' 

'Yeah I know but your sposed to be taking it easy,' Daryl looked at her.

'I can walk around the supermarket,'

'Well haven't you come a long way since you wouldn't walk to the bathroom alone,' Daryl smirked at her. She tapped his arm.

'Shut up you! Don't tease me or I will feed you cooked cabbage,' Carol teased.

'I am so hungry I would eat it Carol,' Daryl teased back.


	20. Chapter 20

'So what do you like to eat?' Carol asked Daryl, he was pushing a cart into the super market.

'Anything,' He told her.

'What kind of anything?' Carol asked again.

'I mean I will eat anything, I'm not fussy, no brains though,' Daryl really didn't care, he noticed Carol was getting pale and wanted to get this shop done fast and get her home so she could have a sleep.

'I was going to cook you brains too,' Carol giggled, she leaned up against him not just for comfort, but also support to get around the shop. She could feel her energy draining away quickly.

'You probably shouldn't cook anything,' Daryl told her wrapping his arm around her pushing the cart into the shop. He thought about sticking her in the cart for a moment.

'What do you mean?' Carol asked him

'You should be lying on the couch and I will cook for you. What do you want to eat?' Daryl told her.

'Bacon!' Carol declared. Daryl nodded he could eat bacon.

'And,'

'Ummmmm Like a B.L.T with and ranch sauce, do you want to eat that?' Carol asked him.

'I can cook you that,' It sounded pretty good for him. He stopped in the fruit department which was the first part of the shop looked around, he knew she should be eating some but didn't know what she would eat.

'With bacon? and big sour dough bun's?' Carol was still talking about bacon, his stomach was rumbling.

'Yeah I can make that,' He told her. He was pointing to different fruit and veggies trying to get her interested in something that wasn't bacon.

'Grape juice?' Carol asked him ignoring his pointing on purpose.

'Sure,' Daryl said.

'Tomatos?' Carol stated, finally.

'Yes tomatos,' Daryl picked some and put them into the cart.

'Chips?' Carol asked.

'Yes, always need chips,'

'Should we stop by the video store and get movies?' Carol tried  to con him by not looking at so she couldn't see him indicating to the fruit.

'Yes ok! Fruit Carol, you need to eat some? What do you want?' Daryl finally stated.

'Ummm!' Carol teased him.

'Ya just cant eat bacon,' He was getting slightly frustrated with her not choosing any, the doctor said a balanced diet.

'Yes I can,' Carol pouted.

'Fruit babe?' Daryl run his hand through his hair. He was almost ready to make her eat every bit  of fruit he chose before she could eat any bacon.

'Your no fun to go shopping with,' Carol pouted again, pulling away from him to look around at the fruit, it didn't look as exciting as bacon.

'I'm lots of fun..................... feed my baby!' Daryl growled

'I am , with bacon,' Carol teased him.

'Apples? Bananas? Grapes? what do you want?' He tried again.

'Your mean,' Carol teased.

'Yeah I am a big meanie, feed my baby, not just with bacon. I'll let you choose the movies and will sit through all the chick flicks you want to.' Carol threw some fruit into the trolley declaring she would eat it at her house the moment she got home. Daryl rolled his eyes knowing she was lying.

Finally they made their ways around the supermarket. Buying more bacon than Daryl would ever eat, he didn't think Carol would eat it all either but he wasn't going to say  anything about that in front of her. He wasn't dumb enough to mention how much she was thinking about eating.

'What movies do you want to see?' Daryl asked her as he climbed into the cab of the truck after he helped her up into the seat. He also knew she was going to fall asleep very soon and if she stayed awake during the drive to the D.V.D store it would be unlikely.

'Romantic comedies, I want to choose though,'

'Babe your going to be asleep before we even  get there, if your awake you can choose. Tell me,' Daryl looked at her.

'You choose,  no violence or fighting or death, or zombies or flesh eating worms. Nothing dead,' Carol told him. He nodded, he should know all this be able to choose something and know what she would want to see.

Daryl was right she was asleep before the drove out of the supermarket carpark, he run in and got about 8 D.V.D's all new one's, all romantic comedies. He read the backs of them all and asked the women at the counter if any of them had any deaths in them. He was good to go.

He pulled up the drive of Carol's house, unlocked the door, went in and pulled back the sheets on her bed, it felt cold, he found some blankets and spread them on the couch . He went out and picked her out of her seat and carried her inside. Covering her up, pulling off her shoes and checking that nothing was too tight. He pulled all the stuff out of the truck and put it in the kitchen.

After he put it all away, he got in his truck backed down the drive and parked it on the curb. He walked up the drive and went back inside checked Carol again, walked into the laundry and pulled out some bleach, and floor cleaner and a broom. He walked outside down to the big brown stain on the drive, he poured the bleach on the stain. He tipped the floor cleaner on it and started scrubbing it with the broom.

He went around the side of the house looking for a hose, he turned it and sprayed the stain slightly. He got the broom and scrubbed at it more. He stood watching as a trail of brown old blood water trickled down to the gutter, he was fighting tears. Swearing at the stain. He had been scrubbing at it for about ten minutes then he put the hose on it  again. All the dried blood was gone, she didn't have a big bloody stain in her drive anymore. Daryl threw the broom in the back of his truck, he was going to throw it out. He put the empty bottles in the trash and walked back into the house.

 


	21. Chapter 21

'What are you doing?' Carol's voice was sleepy it come from the couch, she been asleep for hours, Daryl was keeping himself amused now he was counting out how many press ups he could do in a row. He had done sit ups, star jumps in the hall, he was slightly bored because there wasn't anything he could do at Carol's house. He didn't want to go around opening cupboards and looking at stuff. There were no books for him to look at or anything, some chick mags that was it. He had already flicked through all them. He was on his third set when Carol must have heard him grunting and woke up, looking at him working out on the floor not far from where she was sleeping.

'Press up's what does it look like?' He grunted up and rolled onto his side.

'Why?' Carol asked.

'Cos I need to do something!' He told her.

'Really? Did I fall asleep in the truck?' She asked softly, she was trying to sit up on the couch and she looked all stiff, Daryl come across to help her sit up a little better, kissing her on the head. He was quite sweaty now, he had been doing exercise around the house for nearly an hour.

'Yeah, you want to take a shower or something? you need anything?' Daryl asked her, helping her move her legs.

'I need to go to the toilet, that's about it,' She told him.

'Ok, you feeling better being home?' Daryl thought she looked in a better mood than she did when he woke up this morning. She was actually smiling which was a huge improvement

'Yeah happy,' She leaned forward to put her arms around him, giving him a squeeze and offering her face for him to kiss her again. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, he bit back a groan. He was instantly hard, he knew he had to back off and wait his time until she was ready. She wasn't letting him go as her mouth moved down his jaw. He pushed away gently.

'Happy, and sleepy, and we had grumpy earlier any more coming,' Daryl teased her.

'Stop it, don't tease me!' Carol scolded him, tapping his hand.

'Ok you need help?' He offered to help her up to go to the bathroom.

'I can pee alone thanks,' She told him.

'Just checking! Let me know if you want to shower, I need a shower, we can do a shower," Daryl stood there, palms up suggestinig that they got naked, she raised her eyebrows at him knowing he had just pushed her away because he wanted a wee bit more than kissing. They had done a little bit more than kissing the other night, Carol was keen to take him on another test drive tonight, of 3rd base action.

'Are you ummmmmmmmmmmm' Carol jestered to his pants. Daryl looked down, down and it was evident that his dick had a mind of its own and she had seen it and there was no way he could deny that when it was hard up against his pants. She reached down and rubbed the front of his jean's he groaned again. Pulling her closer for another kiss.

'Horny?' He whispered at her neck.

'Hmmmmm'

'I'm trying to keep it in check but you are driving me crazy,' He moaned as she rubbed him again, he wasn't sure he wasn't going to come in his pants if she kept doing that to him. He was given a reprieve as his pocket began to ring. He struggled to get his phone out of his pocket. Turning sideways to her so he could try concentrate on who ever was calling. Which was Merle.

Carol listened while he had a one sided conversation. 

 

'Hello?'

'Maybe, we are going to watch movies and eat!'

'I'll call you back in a minute,'

'Yes, Yeah, I said yes, Merle, Yes,'

'I will, I said I would, shut the fuck up!'

 

'That was my brother, they want to know if we want to do something with them, they could come here maybe? Watch movies?' Daryl asked her when she looked at him after he hung up from Merle, she knew he wanted to ask her something.

'Sure! Ok, do they hate me?' Carol asked him.

'No! Merle spent a lot of time with his arse parked at the hospital. He and Andrea got engaged, you should get to know them," Daryl told her.

'Ok, tell them to come about, whats the time now?' Carol wondered.

'4,'

'Tell them to come at 6 for dinner! Will they eat B.L.T's do we have enough bacon?' Carol asked him. 

'Yes we have enough bacon, Go have a shower I will ring them while you do that,' Daryl told her.

'Thought you might come help?'

'Ok I'ma gona call now,' Daryl held onto her while he rang Merle back and then followed Carol into the bathroom knowing he was going to come either in his hand or her hand like a freaken horny little teenager.

 


	22. Chapter 22

Carol held Daryl's hand and towed him behind her, she stopped in the hall pulling out bath towels pointing to stuff in there that he may ever need to find. She then towed him to her room switching on her electric blanket to warm her bed for them that night. Daryl followed her around the house being towed behind her. He was like a dog on heat waiting for her to scratch him behind the ears or something. 

Finally she towed him into the bathroom and turned the heater on. He kicked off his shoes and started taking off his pants, she put her hands on them and undid the button for him. He looked at the shower it was over the huge bath tub. He was happy to bath or shower whatever she wanted as long as he was involved he didn't care.

'Shower?' Carol asked him. 

'Yeah,' He whispered kissing her, trying to help her get out of her shirt. She lifted her arms up so he could get it off. She stood there in her bra crossing her arms across her chest suddenly realising that this was the first time they would see each other naked.

'Ummmm Daryl!' Carol said his name in a way that stopped him in his tracks, something was wrong.

'Hmmmmm,' Daryl answered hoping it wasn't going to be stop. He was watching her body language, lifting his arms up to take his shirt off. Matching her item of clothing for item of clothing.

'i've never done this before,' Carol whispered to him.

'Done what?' He whispered back.

'Had a shower with a man before," She admitted, to him like she had just committed a horrible crime.

'Is that all?' Daryl looked down at her, not really surprised due to the fact of her ex being a dick, sex wouldn't be high on his list of thing to do well.

'Yeah!' 

'Me neither!' Daryl told her.

'What?' she looked up at him then looked down at his chest.  Taking in his chest looking down to his stomach she reached out and run a finger down the middle of his chest. Daryl's dick had a total mind of its own straining against his jeans.

'Had a shower with a man before,' Daryl smirked at her.

'Daryl,' 

'Come on, why are we talking about this?' Daryl started playing with the tops of her pants hoping he could get her naked very quickly.

'I just don't want you to be disappointed,'' Carol whispered to him.

'Are you going to get naked?' He asked.

'Yeah.......................'

'I'm not going to be disappointed,' Daryl told her with a smirk on his face. Trying again to pull her pants down kissing her this time to distract her.

'Daryl be serious,'

'Hun I am, get your clothes off,' He was dying here, he wanted her in the shower with him, he wanted to put his mouth all over her. He wanted to make out with her in the shower, he been as horny as fuck all day watching her and now she was freaking out about never having showered with a man before

'Your not going to be disappointed if I'm not good,' Carol had her head down looking at the ground, he put his finger under her chin forcing her to lift her head and look him in the eye.

'Take your clothes off please, before I put you in there with them on................. Its up to you,' He whispered. She looked at him with big wide blue eyes.

'Ummmm ok,' 

Daryl reached around her, trying not to be frustrated. His hard on was straining in his pants watching her attempt to take her clothes off. He turned the shower on, putting his hand under the water.

'Should I put a towel or something on the bottom of the floor of the bath in case you slip?' He asked her ignoring that she wasn't taking off her clothes.

'Why would I slip?' She asked. 

_Probably while I'm taking off your wet clothes thought Daryl._

'I dunno, you might slip or something!' He told her.

'How?'

'Ummmmmm I'm gona put a towel on the bottom of the shower just in case, I don't want you to fall on your arse,' He said.

'OK!'

Daryl leaned in and kissed her hard, he reached down unbuckling his pants and his jean's, dropping them on the ground standing there naked in front of her. His theory was  that they were engaged now, and he was going to be naked from time to time and she was going to see him naked. She looked him up and down, blushing red.

'Your going to take your clothes off?' He leaned in to kiss her.

'Ummmm,' Carol mumbled.

Daryl wrapped his arms around her lifting her up stepping towards the shower. 

'Your choice, on or off?' Daryl whispered, Carol squealed, and started pleading that she would take them off. She removed her clothes while Daryl stood there with a throbbing hard on watching her. He held his hand out helping her step over the edge of the bath, once she was in he stepped in and gently pulled her too him as they both moved under the spray. He was groaning against her mouth.

 God he wanted her, sex with her nearly 5 months ago wasn't enough, he reached around for her shower gel to help wash her. It was only right he thought to help her out, he paid special attention to her breast which seemed larger than he remembered. He groaned as he put  his mouth on her neck. She took the shower gel from him and washed herself where she wanted too.

Daryl groaned watching her. She and started wash him starting to wash down his chest and onto his dick. He pushed up into her hand. She looked down at it, he some had managed to start moving himself back and forward in her hand. He leaned into her, his hands moving over her body, down her breasts, down her bump down to her slit where his fingers found her clit. His mouth attached itself to hers as he groaned into her. She was moving her hand back and forward fast on him, he could feel that he was starting to lose control.

He couldn't help himself as he groaned and shot his load all over her stomach. His face flamed red as she looked down at it on the baby bump, she kept stroking him gently cleaning him. He turned her slightly so he could wash his cum off her bump. He felt really embarrassed about where it landed. 

He returned his attention back to her, 'You ok?'

'Yeah, I'm ok,'

Daryl reached down her slit again Carol began moaning against his fingers, he knelt down in front of her putting his mouth on her clit. She was groaning. Daryl pulled her gently so she was now sitting on the edge of the bath so he had better access to her. She was groaning faster and harder an.d then she came in his mouth. It was Carol's turn to blush red. 

'You ok?

 'Perfect!'

'Here I'll help you shower properly,' Daryl told her. Daryl helped her actually shower this time, and then they moved on so they had clothes on to greet Merle and Andrea.

 


	23. Chapter 23

'Stop I need to get dressed, your brother will be here soon,'  Carol was batting off Daryl's attempts to cuddle as she was trying to get dried and wanted to take the aftermath of the shower to the bed. He was standing naked behind her stroking his hands down her arms, and down her sides. She shivered as he traced his finger down her spine.

'He won't care!' Daryl growled low in his throat and bringing his mouth to the back of her neck kissing her softly, his hands moving around to stroke her breasts. Her nipples  went hard at his touch. Daryl turned her and bent his head to suck on a nipple. Carol groaned then looked at the time. He pushed him away moving around to sort out some clothes to put on. Some of the new stuff she brought when she found out she was pregnant. Putting it on the bed to put on.

'I will! Hands off,' She growled at him trying to put her panties on. 

'Your no fun,' Daryl reached out and stole the clothes off the bed. He held them hostage looking at her smirking. Holding them up almost taunting her. She pulled her towel up to cover herself.

'Yeah no fun Carol that's what got us into this mess,' Carol snapped at him. Holding her hand out for her clothes.

'You think this is a mess?' Daryl looked at her, surprised. She threw his jeans at him to put on. He put them on over his underwear looking at her, still holding her clothes.

'No I am fun! I just want my clothes back,' Carol held out her hands for them. He stood there shaking his head at her. She couldn't believe he was being so annoying not giving back her clothes.

'Give me a kiss and I will let you have them,' He leaned forward waiting for a kiss.

'Daryl! Come on!' Carol whispered, there was a loud knock at the door. Daryl pulled on a shirt. She was standing there naked and he had her clothes.

'Daryl come on, they are at the door,' Carol whispered.

'Give me a kiss, I will give them to you,' He winked at her.

'Come on, your like a naughty little boy,' Carol growled at him.

'One kiss,' Daryl touched his lips.

'Fine!' Carol moved close and locked her lips on his. Giving him a quick kiss. He shook his head and pulled her in for a hard kiss slipping his tongue in her mouth. They heard the knocking on the door again. He handed her her clothes and tapped her bum.

'I'll get the door, you better not come out naked,' He smirked.

'Its your fault I'm naked,' She hissed at him, blushing bright red that she was naked and people were at the door.

'Hurry up, stop running around the place naked,' He walked out shutting the door behind him to go open the door for Merle before he broke it down, he hoped Merle would behave tonight. Andrea should keep him in line, he was surprised he wanted to come over and meet up with Carol again. He wasn't knocking it but he wondered what was going on. Maybe it was Andrea pushing it, Carol and her were going to be related once they all got married. He pull the front door open.

 Daryl opened the front door greeting Merle and Andrea. Merle come in bringing a box of beer and Andrea waved a bottle of grape juice and some chips and dips.

'Movie time, hows Carol?' Andrea greeted him with a peck on the cheek. Daryl rubbed the spot, he had a soft spot for Andrea, she had been with Merle off and on for nearly 5 years he had no idea why or how she put up with his arse. Merle was well Merle was Merle, spoke first thought later. How Andrea put up with him he had no idea, sometimes Daryl couldn't stand him and they were related. Andrea must love him.

'In the room getting dress,' Daryl pointed in the direction down the hall towards the bedroom. Andrea wandered down knocking on the door and walking in. Andrea didn't care if people had clothes on or not. Daryl knew that from past experience, if he was in the shower and she needed something she would just knock and walk in to get whatever, it was something he had learned to deal with over the time she had been with Merle. Although Daryl had moved away for nearly a year and come back she still did it.

'What are theses for?' Merle passed him a single cigar and had one for himself. He stood in the hall nodding at Daryl looking at him oddly. The bedroom door opened and both Carol and Andrea came out. Andrea had her arm around Carol having formed a quick bond with her in the bedroom, Carol looked a bit shocked that Andrea was so friendly towards her after the way she had treated her at Glenn and Maggies wedding and had avoided her every time she saw her around town after that.

'Celebrating little brother,' Merle stated. Andrea come to his side hugging him, trying to shhh him.

'Hi....................' Carol greeted Merle, then indicated they should all go into the lounge or kitchen instead of all standing in the hall looking at each other.

'Hey Carol,' Merle greeted her. He followed her into the kitchen opening the fridge as if he lived there putting beer in the fridge. He started to help Daryl sort out some chips and dips and glasses. Merle had no issues opening ever cupboard looking for things he needed. He poured Andrea and Carol a glass of grape juice putting it into wine glasses. Handing it to them smiling. He then gave Daryl a shove to get his attention.

'Got some news for you two, your not the only one shooting a loaded gun little brother,' Merle told Daryl. Daryl stood starring at Merle wondering what the hell he was talking about.

'Merle,' Andrea growled at him. Shaking her head. Merle stood there nodding.

'Got me a sprog on the way too!' He walked over to Andrea patting her tummy. 'Twelve weeks in here! Got another Dixon on the way!'

'Merle! You were not meant to say that yet!' Andrea scolded him. 'We wanted to check out how your little guy was first before announcing!'

'He's fine, Daryl told me on the phone!' Merle told her.

'Did ya think to tell me Merle!' Andrea scolded him.

Merle launched into a story about how they had found out about 6 weeks and had a huge falling out over it, both being not sure about everything. Andrea was surprised that Merle had wanted the baby, Andrea had been unsure about Merle's sticking ability to her and the baby, as they broke up every other month and had done for years. Merle had gone out and brought a ring to show his commitment to her and the baby after realizing that things could be taken away in a moment after seeing what happened to Carol and the little 'Guy!'  

Things could be there and gone within a moment and Merle decided to bite the bullet to tell Andrea how he really felt about her.

'But I saw you, I saw you at the chemist that day,' Carol stated to Merle.

'Was getting stuff for Andrea and saw you and freaked in case you saw what I was buying and found out. Somehow told Glenn and his fat blabber mouth would have it all over town before we knew where we were,' Merle told her.

'So, Carol, Andrea and Maggie are pregnant, who isn't pregnant?' Daryl asked.

'Maggie's pregnant?' Andrea asked, Daryl's hand flew to his mouth, Carol gave him a little shove.

'Who's the blabbermouth now?' She told him.

Carol indicated to Andrea that they should go claim the best seats in the lounge while Daryl and Merle made their dinner. Carol asked Andrea how she was feeling, and she felt great, and could really eat bacon too today.

 'I'm actually great, just hungry all the time, and hungry for him,' Andrea indicated towards Merle who was laughing with Daryl in the kitchen, they were both drinking beer toasting up bread bun's and cooking bacon. Putting together B.L.T's for everyone. Carol nodded knowing that she could be hungry for some of what was standing in the kitchen too.

'I'm not allowed to you know............ Until I get the clear from the hospital, I have stitches and stuff up near there,' Carol told Andrea. Somehow knowing she was going to be spending a lot of time with her because of the brothers, she would find out maybe, so she told her anyway.

'So no sex?'

'None, nada, nothing. We only did it that one time and this is what we got,' Carol pointed to her baby bump that was hidden under her new top.

'How's Daryl coping with that? I mean he really hasn't had a girlfriend or anything since I known him a couple of casual hits now and then but that's it,' Andrea asked her.

'He's finding other outlets, if you know what I mean,' Carol blushed talking about sex with Andrea glancing towards the kitchen. 'I mean we really don't know each other that well yet, but we have the baby coming and its weird, its like a pull, I can't help it.'

'Yeah I know Daryl's been going on about it, soul mates maybe?' Andrea asked.

'Hmmmmmmmm maybe, but looking at him makes me nearly you know,' Carol whispered the last part. The men were heading towards them with plates of food.

'Cream your pants?' Andrea leaned over and whispered in her ear.

Carol started coughting nearly choking on what she heard, the more she tried to stop the worse it got. Daryl put the food down and helped her too her feet. She was so scared she was going to pee herself she managed to get out to take her to the toilet. He glared at Andrea who just shook her head and giggled. Daryl flipped her up into his arms moving fast to the bathroom.

After she went to the toilet, Daryl was standing outside the door demanding to know if she was ok. Finally managing to breath ok, she snorted and giggled again.

'I'm fine, really I am, just something Andrea said made me laugh so hard I couldn't move,' Carol stated, she wouldn't tell him what was so funny, but she started blushing and Daryl knew anything could have come out of Andrea's mouth. He also knew Carol wasn't upset so he let it go.

 'So are you moving in Andrea to the garage?' Daryl asked after they all started to eat and the movie was playing. Andrea scrunched up her nose and shook her head. Andrea lived the next town over about a 45minute drive away but worked in this town.

'No the smell makes her feel sick, she's going to look for a place to share or rent till we can afford to buy or rent somewhere," Merle told him. 'Been looking but there isn't much about!'

'She can move in here!' Carol said, 'You can move in here, I got 4 bedrooms................ There's enough room, even when the baby comes................ Its my house, I brought it out of the money I got when I left Ed, I mean I have a mortgage but you can pay some rent,' 

And with that both Andrea and Carol made plan's together for Andrea to move in as soon as Carol was able to live alone again. Daryl looked at Merle and Merle just raised his eyebrows knowing next week they both were going to be hauling Andrea's crap into Carol's house.

 


	24. Chapter 24

The following weekend Merle and Daryl were man handling Andrea's stuff into Carol's house. Both women given instructions' not to bloody try and lift anything. Daryl and Carol had gotten into a small argument out on the road when she picked up a small box.

'No fucken way!' He growled taking it off her. Trying to wave her off back inside the house to unpack some of the boxes they already taken in there.

'Its not even heavy!!' She told him.

'I don't care! Go sit your arse down!' Daryl told her, pointing towards the house. She was nearly 5 1/2 months pregnant and he didn't want her lifting a thing, god sometimes he didn't want her walking about in case she bumped into something. They only left Glenn's house that morning after her 10 day stay, he didn't want to be under the watchful eye of Glenn and Maggie for another 10 days.

'Did you just tell me to sit my arse down?' Carol asked giving him the evil eye that he had become familiar with over the past few weeks when he said something she didn't agree with.

'Sure bloody did! Go! We got this, make some coffee or something!' Daryl told her back peddling quickly but digging himself a bigger hole, he knew he was, sometimes he was just plain stupid.

He was trying to tell himself to stop in his head. The doctor gave her an all clear for sex and he was fucking it up that she would cut him off before it even started. He hadn't even gone over to Glenn's last night, after he took her to the hospital, he took her for lunch then spent most of the night with his head in a truck till late, barely making it upstairs. Falling asleep on the bed on top. Merle was seconds behind. He had called her during the evening to tell her he wasn't coming.

Now he was quietly making sure he never ever got sex again by telling her what she could and couldn't do like an arsehole. She looked at him and nodded.

'You want me to make coffee, how would you like it Mr Dixon? Over your head,' Carol was mad he knew she was mad at him, but he had a point she shouldn't be helping at all.

'Babe! Don't be like that, we would love you to help lifting the dresser, but we want to look like strong men in front of ya so you swoon over our muscles!' Daryl tried to make her laugh. 

Andrea and Carol were both starring at both Merle and Daryl. Andrea had been given the no help speech as well. 'Go sit the fuck down!' by Merle. They didn't look happy, Andrea had her arms folded across her chest glaring at Merle, then fixing her gaze on Daryl. Both of them hung their heads.

'Awwww sugar tits, come on, you shouldn't be lifting shit while we can do it,' Merle walked over to Andrea hugging her and patting her bum. 

'So tonight Merle, I will be to fragile to do anything ok!' She warned him. Merle took a step back, looking around at a way to save it.

'That's not what I meant,' Merle growled, stepping back from the dresser they were about to lift he waved his arm across it. 'Ok ladies be my guest,'

He looked from Carol to Andrea, nodding at them stepping back from the dresser. Daryl was freaking out wondering if they were going to try lift it. He was planning on tackling Carol if she took one step in the direction of the dresser. He stepped back from it challenging her to step up with his eyes on hers. 

Daryl held Carol's eyes, threatening her with them that if she took one step towards the dresser he wasn't going to be a happy man. She looked at his face and got the message loud and clear. She also wasn't stupid knowing that she probably shouldn't be lifting anything bigger than her bag. She finally dropped her eyes, looking at Andrea, grabbing her arm.

'Do you want some sandwiches as well?' Carol finally asked holding onto Andrea's arm pulling her towards the house to stop her from doing something stupid.

'Yes Please!' Merle called after them.

'Fuck Merle, you just about give me a heart attack,' Daryl growled at him.

'Knew neither would do it, all talk no more sassing from them today, lets just get this stuff moved,' Merle told him, indicating he should take the other end as they lifted the heavy arsed dresser into the house. They were both grunting up the path.

'Merle did she empty the fucken drawers before we fucken shifted this fucken thing,' Daryl slipping back into garage talk. Carol didn't like to hear him using fuck as every second word. Andrea didn't either. Together Merle and Daryl could have a whole conversation just using the one word and they knew what they meant.

'Fucken fuck!' Growled Merle as they got it into the room, he opened the draw reveling bra's and panties.

'ANDREA! You didn't even empty the drawers!' Merle yelled towards the kitchen. Daryl and Merle made short work of the rest of the stuff in the truck putting boxes into the room and kitchen and lounge. Done! Daryl was sweating he wiped his arm across his head . All of Andrea's stuff was heavy, like she put bricks in everything. 

Daryl wiped his head walking into the kitchen, walking up beside Carol grabbing a sandwich, and a cup of coffee that was made. He nodded his thanks and put his arm around her. She looked at him and started to gag. Pointing at him and Merle gesturing for them to get out.

'What? What's wrong?' Daryl looked around panicking.

'You, you need to go, get out,' Carol started to vomit into the kitchen sink. 'You smell!' She managed to choke out between vomiting.

He tried to comfort her. She started crying for him to go outside before she died. Daryl stood out in the path with Merle looking at each other. Merle sniffed Daryl, then himself, he didn't think they smelt that bad. They were sweaty from working but nothing dramatic.

'You think she let me in to have a shower?' Daryl looked at Merle, he shook his head.

'Its onions with Andrea, smell them even in the supermarket. Lets just go, shower and come back,' He called into the house. Andrea come out.

'We going to go shower and come back,' Merle told her.

'Make sure you wash really well, she's not enjoying that smell Daryl!' Andrea told him. 

'I don't smell!' Daryl stated. 'I'm a little sweaty that's it!' 

Andrea leaned over to sniff both of them. 'You could use a shower Daryl you do smell a bit!'

'Fine! Lets go!' Daryl growled at Merle, heading to his truck, to go scrub himself raw.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Daryl and Merle arrived back at Carol's an hour later scrubbed clean, wearing clean clothes and no smelling deodorant thanks to Daryl. 

'I hope this works,' Daryl told Merle.

Carol opened the door, stepping out to sniff Daryl, she leaned over and sniffed Merle telling them they could come in as long as they didn't make any smells. Daryl looked at Merle and gave him the evil eye not to make any smells, good or bad.

She took them to the kitchen that looked clean after her throwing up into the sink.

Daryl stopped her in the hall, letting Merle walk past to find Andrea. He cuddled her. 'I'm sorry I made you sick,'

'You didn't make me sick, it was just the smell. I don't know why, last week, the same smell made you smell sexy,' Carol told him.

'Sexy huh?' Daryl laughed.

'Not anymore! Don't come near me unless you shower,' She leaned into him enjoying the feeling of his body against hers. Daryl leaned down backing her up against the hall wall making out with her without having to worry about Glenn springing him for having his hands all over her.

'Get off Daryl! Come get a sandwich!' Merle's voice come from the kitchen. Daryl chuckled, he forgot about Merle. 

_Oh god! Merle, he was going to be here a lot!_

'Come on!' Carol took his hand and led him to the kitchen, she made him another coffee to make up for the one he missed. Andrea was standing at the table unpacking a box of glasses, Carol was pointing around the room and opening cupboards of where she could put stuff. She opened the fridge and started  making herself a bowl of cornflakes, it was a must have food group Daryl had noticed for the past week. She had made him go buy 4 boxes for her that morning, along with full fat milk. She made herself a big bowl somewhat like you would make a salad in and sat at the table eating with the cornflakes, milk and sugar beside her.

'Hungry?' Daryl smirked she just looked at him, starring him down, challenging him to just keep talking. Daryl just shut up, right then and there. She yawned. Trying to cover it so he wouldn't make her take a nap. She napped every day like a 3 year old, she kept forgetting she was pregnant plus was still recovering from a huge attack on her body recently. It been a month but she needed to keep her body on track for growing the baby, also if she took a nap maybe he could climb in beside her.

'Tired?' He asked.  She shook her head, and tried to cover the another yawn. 'Finish that and take a nap,'

'I don't wanna take a nap, everyone is here,' Carol told him. 

'No!' Carol yawned.

'I'll join ya,' Daryl muttered glancing around, noting where Merle and Andrea were, they were not listening anyway. Carol yawned again nodding, then finished her bowl of cornflakes, heading away to her room.

'They will still be here when ya get up,' Daryl said. 'She's unpacking all her shit.................... Take a nap!'

Daryl called over his shoulder. 'We are taking a nap.............................'

'Your a pansy arse Daryl, what you doing taking a nap for?' Merle called from the lounge. 

'Merle! Shut up,' Daryl called down the hall.

Daryl pushed the door shut. Carol stripped, heading through her other door into the bathroom to take a shower. 'I still smell a bit like puke,'

'So romantic,' Daryl told her. She was swishing mouthwash around her mouth climbing into the shower. Daryl watched, sitting down on the side of the bed starring. He had a hard on from the moment she washed her mouth out with mouth wash. He was pretty hard up.

He kicked off his shoes and undid his pants and pulled his shirt over his head climbing into her bed. She had changed the sheets and it warming, knowing she was going for a nap. She come out wrapped in a towel, she watched him watching her.

'I don't know what you think is going to happen here Mr Dixon,' Carol climbed into bed beside him snuggling up against his side. Leaning into kiss him on the mouth, he looked sideways at her. He put his arm around her tugging her slightly to his body.

'I can wait, if you just want to nap,' Daryl told her.

'I know you can wait, I don't want to wait,' Carol told him. 'Just we need to take it slow,' 

'I can go so slow you won't know I'm moving,' Daryl growled.

'You don't need to go that slow, just not hard like last time,' Carol whispered.

'You take the lead then, your in charge,' Daryl pulled her on top of him and started to kiss her, she squealed trying to get off him. She sat up embarrassed to be straddled on top of him. 'Don't move! Stay there!' He run his hands over her breasts, pinching her nipples, leaning up to catch one in his mouth. He run his hands down her body over her bump and to her clit.

Carol made a move so they were lying side by side with each other. It was easier for her to kiss him, her body was getting bigger and she wasn't used to the bum in front of her. Daryl was rubbing her clit he moved down her until his face was between her legs, kissing and sucking her, Carol was groaning. 

'Daryl please, stop I need you, I want you,' Carol growled at him.

'You ready?' Daryl moved up kissing her mouth and then her neck.

'Please,' 

Daryl moved on top of her and gently guided himself to her hole with his hand entering her gently. He groaned when he finally settled inside her. Stopping for a moment waiting for her to settle around him, he knew he was big, he didn't want to hurt her by moving to hard or fast. He set a slow pace when he really wanted to go hard and fast. He supported himself on one arm and brought a hand around to rub her clit. He wasn't going to last long and she was soaking wet.

His mouth stayed on hers as he made slow love to her feeling her cum hard around him and shuddering through her whole body. He finished moments after her. He moved off making sure he wasn't squashing her. Keeping his mouth on hers he rolled her so she was snuggled on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her holding her there, he knew that moment she fell asleep on him. He lay there holding her, he rolled her to his side, lying there he could feel the baby moving against his side.

 

 

  


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its going to be a short chapter

'You ok?' Daryl asked as Carol started to stir at his side, he had been dozing the whole time she had been asleep. He had been flicking through a parenting book from the side of the bed hoping to get some sort of tips so not to end up doing something wrong to the baby. It seemed like simple stuff, breast feeding was good, changing them was good, keeping their heads out of the water. 

Dads could bond with babies by doing skin to skin contact as well as the Mama, he could change and even bath or shower with the baby. He looked at his big hands wondering how you would hold a baby in the shower. He would be scared he would drop him or something. 

He had taken a mental not of some things they should get, a bassinet thingy, a car seat, clothes and blankets. Diapers. Lots and lots of diapers. It must be one of those things that what goes in must come out. He turned the page on its side and looked at the pictures of the babies being born. That looked sore. Did their parts stretch like that. Did it go back to place again. Daryl flicked through some more and saw that they also suggested parenting classes for first time parents.

'Yeah, did I fall asleep?' Her voice sounded croaky, he hoped she wasn't getting sick or anything. She run her hand across his chest, stroking up and down him, Daryls cock twitched with her touch, he couldn't help it he spent half his life around her with a hard on. He didn't know what the rules were for having sex with her, he would have to ask, if they could do it lots or he had to wait till tomorrow.

'Snoring! The police stopped by asking me to turn the noise down!' Daryl joked with her, She turned on her side running her finger round and round his nipple. Daryl watched it then down the sheets where if you looked to could see his cock outline.

'They did not!' Carol growled at him.

'They did!' He joked.

'Stop it!' She tapped his chest, and run her hand down the top of the sheet running it across his cock. Wrapping her hands around it. He bit back a groan because of what she was doing, she needed to stop or he was going to make a mess of the sheets.

'You want to get up or?' Daryl whispered.

'I need to go toilet, someone is jumping on it!' She let go of him starting to move towards the edge of the bed, she moved her legs over to the side stretching up to the roof, reaching across to grab her robe to wrap around herself, she stood up to got to the bath room.

'I can feel him moving sometimes!' Daryl called after her. She stopped and turned looking at him.

'Really!'

'Yeah he kicks me while your sleeping just to let me know he's keeping an eye on me!' Daryl wasn't about to admit he spent hours over the past month watching her bump while she slept to catch a glimpse of the baby moving. She was getting bigger and he could see it better.

'Do you watch me while I'm sleeping?' Carol asked.

'Ummmmm no, not really, ummmm sometimes, if he's kicking!' Daryl blushed and admitted.

'Not in a creepy way at all Daryl!'

'Not like that, its weird he kicks, so I look and he moves ya tummy!' Daryl told her.

'It looks weird huh?'

'Not really, interesting that there's a baby in there! Our baby, all this shit going on!' Daryl told her.

They both starred at each other knowing that they were talking about Ed's court case that was coming up. Carol had given a statement and they were hoping that Rick  and Shane's statements along with the neighbors and Carol's condition still not being really stable after the attack, she still was having twinges from the boot to the side. That she wouldn't have to show up in court.

Daryl looked at her knowing what was flashing through her brain, they told him the stress wasn't good for her or for the baby and they needed to try keep her relaxed and stress free, Daryl nipped at his finger looking at her.

'So are we going to go to baby classes or something? Get a little bed thing?' He asked.

She beamed that he was asking about stuff about the baby. She nodded heading to the bathroom, she pushed the door shut behind her. He heard the toilet flush and got out of bed pulling on his boxers walking in to find her washing her hands.

'Why don't ya have a bath or something? Read some mags or books, try and relax and we spend the rest of the day cuddling up in bed?' Daryl asked her.

'What about Andrea and Merle?' 

'Merle can find his own entertainment, he don't need us looking after his arse!' Daryl told her. She nodded. He could tell she still looked tired. He decided while she took a bath he would get a good dinner going, something that would be good for her.

'What you want to eat tonight?' He asked, leaning over to rinse and fill her bath. He looked at her she was biting her lip. 'Bacon? What if I make a bacon and egg pie with veggies or something?'

'You can make a pie?' Carol asked him looking surprised.

'Of course I can make a pie, I would be as thin as a rake if I didn't cook a meal every now and again!' Daryl told her deciding to help her with her robe getting her into the bath.

'Your going to cook dinner?'

'Yes, I might need to go to the store, you alright in here or you want me to stay?' He asked. 'What else do we need, or should I just buy a shitload of stuff?'

'Buy a shit load of stuff, but get bacon!'

'Yeah I got that, I'm leaving the bathroom door open and the bedroom so call out to them if you need anything!' Daryl bent down giving her a kiss leaving a pile of mags and books on the little table by the bath.

He wandered out to the lounge, Merle was watching some sport and Andrea was asleep on the couch.

'I running to the store, she's in the bath, Merle, don't let her drown keep checking she's ok, right!' Daryl told him.

'You want me to go perve at ya women in the bath, got it!' Merle looked at him.

'Fuck Merle! Be serious other wise I will wake Andrea!'

'Don't wake her, she's tired, I will check ok!!' Merle told him.

'Every 5 minutes?' 

'Yes christ I will go lie on her fucken bed then!' Merle growled at him.

'If you need too!' Daryl stalked out of the room to his truck to do the quickest shop ever. Half an hour later he come back into the house and found Andrea still asleep on the couch and Merle no where to be found, he heard his voice down in Carol's room. Merle was lying on her bed chatting away to Carol as if nothing was wrong, flicking through baby name books discussing names. The bathroom door was half shut so he couldn't see anything. Merle and Carol were giggling at some of the names he was calling out. He pretended to be a hard arse but when it come to the women he wasn't. He was mindful of them both.

Daryl smirked and went out to the truck to get the rest of the stuff. Merle must have taken him seriously hoping she wouldn't drown on his watch. He put his head around the door announcing he was back. Merle grumbled that thank god for that. Daryl knew he was joking but Merle didn't know he knew.

 

 

 

l


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its going to time jump about a month ok. So we are like 7months

It worked out well for Merle and Daryl with Andrea moving in with Carol, he felt better knowing she was in her own home with someone there at night. Merle and Daryl were so busy playing Catch up with all the work that they had on Daryl was only managing a few phone calls and been over twice in the one week for the past week.

Andrea and Merle had been for their first scan Andrea was now 16 weeks and everything looked great for them. Daryl was sprinting around the workshop trying to get things done before taking Carol to a check up the following Friday afternoon.

He showered and changed his clothes pulling up outside her house to take her, walking inside to see where she was. She was sitting on the couch with Andrea and they both were crying their eyes out cuddled up together watching a movie.

'What the fucks wrong?' He panic'd straight away, they both shook their head watching some soppy movie. Daryl bent his head kissing her hello. He hadn't see her since Tuesday and he was sure she was heaps bigger. Talking with her on the phone and sending text messages. He was taking her to the hospital and then they were actually going to go on a date.

They were just going to a movie, something simple that they could do, maybe just a little different though than just hanging out. It was their first outing as a couple. They were meeting Rick and Michonne at the movies. Daryl didn't really know Rick's girlfriend but they wanted to tag along when Daryl told Rick what they were doing.

'Ya going to get dress or you going like that?' Daryl asked after them crying for a bit. He looked at them, both still in PJ's. Carol looked up at him.

'Do you think I look fat?' She asked.

'Ummmm no I think you look pregnant and in need of a shower! Come on we need to be there in 45minutes!' Daryl held his hand out to help her off the couch. Andrea flopped onto her side watching the tv as Daryl guided her down the hall to her room.

'Come on!' He half pushed, dragged her into the shower, god knows when she last washed her hair, it looked like Andrea and Carol had been living in the lounge watching movies by the amount of junk and stuff lying around. He reached in to turn on the shower and started undoing her buttons.

'I can do it!' She looked pissed at him, grumpy and tired.

'When was the last time you took a nap?' Daryl asked. She had been telling him she was still sleeping during the day but he could tell she wasn't napping at all. 'Don't lie to me you look so tired, I don't know if we should go out, or come back have a nap then go out!' She had huge bags under her eyes.

'I'm not a baby, I just can't nap, everything hurts!' She complained.

'What hurts?' Daryl looked at her body, she had fresh stretch marks on her sides and tummy. She gotten a lot bigger. She was 7 months. He was getting a hard on just looking at her, so he nearly shoved her into the shower to wash. 'What hurts babe?'

'My back, my sides, my boobs, my head! Every thing is sore!' She complained.

'How long every thing been hurting?' Daryl asked leaning in to wash her back she turned and looked at him grumpy, then she started to cry. 'Today, Everything hurts today!'

'OK, did you take something?' Daryl asked, she nodded. Daryl chewed his lip wondering if there was need to panic, there was always a chance of the baby coming early because of the attack. He was trying to work out in his head how far along she was doing old fashion maths. He turned his back and used his fingers counting in 4's and using his fingers to count off months, so between 28-30weeks.

'Ummm Carol, I'm going to get your clothes what do you want?' Daryl asked. He also quickly packed her baby case that was in the wardrobe, it had all stuff she wanted to take, he took it outside and put it in the truck just in case.

He helped her out of the shower and she was really crying now. He managed to get her clothes on her then though fuck it, she was boiling hot to touch and achy like she had the flu. She was shaking and crying on her hands and knees so in the end he called an ambulance when' she went to her hands and knees crying in pain. She didn't know where the pain was coming from. By that stage she was in no state to tell him not to call them. He followed them to the hospital running through the car park to emergency. Who told him they moved her up to the maternity  ward.

He got to the front desk who directed him to room where they had her already on a monitor and were doing an exam checking. A young nurse was drawing blood out of her arm and she was still crying with pain trying to get out of the bed. 

'I .......... I feel like its burning, like I'm on fire!' Carol cried out. Pointing to her lower groin area.  They pressed down on the area off where she had her operation pus come out of the wound. 

 'Did something happen to it?' The doctor asked. Daryl noticed a bruise on her hip as well.

'I banged it, scratched the scar, getting something out of the back of my car the trunk, it was a bit rusty!' Carol admitted. Daryl was in shock first she scratched her scars and second she hadn't said anything. He knew that rust in open cuts from working needed antiseptic cream at least on them. Carol had a raging infection her body was trying to fight off. Her temperature was through the roof.

They put a drip in her arm putting meds through there, and pain relief. She didn't seem to be in as much pain.

'She going to be ok? The baby?' Daryl took the doctor aside to ask.

'She's going to be ok, we need to monitor her closely to make sure she doesn't evict that baby. I'm going to give her something to make her sleep!' She told Daryl.

'And if he comes now?' Daryl asked.

'He goes up to the NICU down the ward with the premmy babies till he's ready to go home. We want him to stay in there though!' She told Daryl. 

Daryl watched from the sidelines and they pumped her full of meds, and gave her something to help her sleep. He walked out to call Andrea, Merle and Rick. He was beyond pissed she never said anything about banging herself. He walked back into the room and sat in the chair and watched another scan of his baby while his mother was knocked out in a hospital bed.


	27. Chapter 27

Daryl insisted on carrying Carol back inside her house from the car. They hadn't really spoken properly in days, Daryl didn't trust himself to say anything without losing his temper at her for being reckless and not treating her wound.

'I'm to heavy!' She complained.

'Princess, shut up!' Daryl growled at her. He was done, she had spent 4 nights on a drip trying to get this infection under control and he was well and truly done with her thinking she could do everything. He hadn't argued with her at the hospital about how reckless she was not cleaning up her cuts or even mentioning to anyone she re-opened her scar. He was so annoyed with her. It was on his face. She knew he was fuming, she heard all the questions he had asked the doctors about her and the baby. She felt guilty she brushed off the cut and didn't tell him, or Andrea. She just ignored it hoping it would go away.

They let her come home she was still on antibotic's which were making her feel sick, but he intended to shove them down her whether she wanted to take them or not. They had told him that she was really really lucky and not to take anymore risks. Had it been left untreated for longer her chances of going into labour was greater because she already had gone into labour already, and the infection would have taken a huge toll on both of them. His intention was to drag her with him to work every morning and put her in the flat. Andrea and Merle had spend the time getting it up to high clean standards. 

Andrea was also in trouble for not noticing that Carol was sick but at the end of the day Carol ignored the signs that she was sick and that's what he was annoyed about. They had to half knock her out to drain it, something that could have been avoided by simple cleaning. He was also mad at himself for working to hard and not coming over during the week to see her. If he had of he would have noticed that she had busted open the scar. Its just a little scar from the key hole but he noticed every mark on her.

He placed her on the couch not letting himself speak incase it all blew up into a major fight. He was beyond tired. Basically slept in a chair at the hospital by her side watching the baby monitor and watching her breath. Merle and Andrea had brought him food and drinks in and a change of clothes but this time he hadn't even gone out for a smoke because he was trying to give up before the baby arrive. He didn't need to say anything for her to know he was annoyed. Merle was there he handed Daryl a plate of food and a bottle of beer.

He handed Carol a plate of food and a glass of juice which he thanked him for quietly. Daryl sat back on the couch. Annoyed and upset, he ate and looked around. He was done with it all, he needed to take a shower, which he hadn't in god knows how long and sleep.

'I'm going to take a shower, you want me to get you into bed?' He asked Carol, she nodded, she had tears brimming in her eyes. She knew he was pissed and she was upset and couldn't bring herself to talk because she had a lump in her throat. Daryl picked her up and took her through to the bedroom, left her there went back to the kitchen and raided the fridge of can's of drinks, bags of chips and other stuff to have a bed party. He chucked it all on the side of the bed.

'Awe come on princess lets take a shower?' Daryl asked her and she let it go and started to cry. Daryl knew she could probably cry for hours so he just tagged her along to the shower anyway and helped her undress. She sobbed quietly, and Daryl knew there was no way to stop it but to let her cry herself out. 

She had water proof  dressing on so he helped her step in. He wondered if he would make her gag he hadn't showered in two days because he was at the hospital, but she just leaned in wrapping her arms around his neck and kept crying. He did the best he could to wash her and himself with her attached then he managed to get her out wrapping her in a towel and shuffled her into the bedroom and sat her on the bed. 

He mucked around in his clothes which had made it into drawers and come out with an old soft tee shirt and dried her off and pulled it over her head. He spent longer than he had to in her panty drawer looking for something that fitted. Nothing was really comfortable for her at the moment and she kept shaking her head to his suggestions of underwear. Finally giving up he gave her a pair of his boxers which she pulled on.

He got her into bed, he put a movie on, as they still were not talking to each other and fixed the pillows so he was leaning against the headboards and pulled her up against him so her head was resting against his chest. He handed her a drink and opened a bag of chips and started eating and watching the movie. Carol half turned to look at his face, he leaned forward and kissed her.

'I still love ya, I'm just mad at ya!' Daryl told her bending down to kiss her again.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know someone reading this likes Martinez...........

Daryl helped Carol up to the flat the next morning above the garage it wasn't a bad place, it was clean, it wasn't as nice as Carol's house though. He asked if she wanted to go to his bed or surf the couch, she was tired really tired and the fact he had a huge bed and a huge tv and lots of movies won her over and she wanted to lay in his bed. Andrea was there also. Merle dragged her along hoping the the two of them together might just keep each other company. Andrea had quit her job and wasn't looking for another until she felt like it. Merle could afford to support her and the baby.

Daryl had started paying the mortage on Carol's house because without her working she couldn't pay it. There wasn't much left anyway and the money she had got when her marriage ended covered most of it anyway. There wasn't much left, they owned the garage and Merle was paying rent for Andrea to Carol so she had her own money. Daryl didn't want her to stress out.

He told her if it was a big deal she could get off her butt as soon as the baby was born and pay him back! She had given him a glare to which he just raised his eyebrows. 

'You going to go back to sleep?' Daryl asked her, he watched as Andrea climbed into bed beside her and they both lay back ignoring him watching a chick flick starting to pay. 'Carol you won't move will ya, do anything stupid like decide to scrub the kitchen floor or anything will you?'

'No!'

'Your going to try and sleep?' He asked again.

'Yes!'.

He could hear the frustration in her voice, she could see the frustration in his body, it shouldn't be like this. Everyone was tired and grumpy and Daryl had a shit load of work to do before he could even think about finishing for the day. They had given up and decided to hire someone to come in and work for them. With both of them with babies on the way they knew they were already burning the candle at both ends. They needed the help.

In the end hiring come down to two guys a huge black man called Tyreese and another guy called Martinez. Merle had been unsure about the second one. When Daryl asked why he said he was too good looking and he didn't want Andrea seeing him or she would start swooning at him. Daryl didn't have the heart to tell him that Martinez looked more interested in Merle than he would be in Andrea. He smirked and kept that to himself.

After all the back and forward they realized that they could actually afford to hire them both. Today was their first day and they hoped with extra help that they could finish at a decent hour and get back to their baby growers which Merle had dubbed them. It hadn't gone over well saying it in front of them, Merle still used it behind their backs. But today they knew with help they would be done by at least 6pm, not the 2am and 4-5 hours sleep then up again.

 Both men fitted in well and knew their stuff inside and out. Daryl spent the morning smirking to himself as he realized that he was right and Martinez kept checking out Merles arse every time he leaned over a car or truck. At one stage he stood back taking a wee break and snorted so bad that the coffee he was drinking come out his nose. He didn't understand how Merle didn't realize. 

They all knocked off for half an hour for lunch the first time in a long time they actually stopped for lunch and headed upstairs to see the girls. They were both asleep in bed. Daryl shook Carol awake to ask her about her pills she needed to take.

'You woke me to check if I took my pills!' she grumbled.

'Yes princess! Did ya?' Daryl asked.

'No!' 

Daryl kept her awake long enough to take them and force down half a sandwich and some milk to stop them upsetting her stomach. She fell back asleep, Daryl was pleased the doctor said she really needed to recover and get back on top of things before the baby was actually due and she went into labour with an empty tank of energy.

For the moment it was working having them where they could keep an eye on her, and Daryl was more relaxed in his job knowing she was just upstairs and managed to work better and faster. Things hopefully were going to go better this week. 

Shortly after they went back to work Daryl got a phone call from Rick telling him that Carol did not need to testify against Ed, Daryl was releived because of this. He was hopeful this news would help relax her more. He headed upstairs to wake her and tell her. 

When he told her he wasn't prepared for the water works that appeared. Although they were happy water works he really still was uncomfortable with the crying. He knew she couldn't help the crying so he pulled her onto his lap and held her for a long time. She snuggled into him and basically cried herself back to sleep and Daryl eased her back under the covers.

'You Dixon boys pretend your hard as nails, I know what your game is and I know your not!' Smirked Andrea who had been awake for most of the crying. Daryl put his finger to his lips to shhhhh her, and left to go down stairs again.

 


	29. Chapter 29

'I'm bored now!' Carol told Daryl she come down to make a coffee for them for something to do, she been dragged along to the work shop for two weeks and she was much better now, bigger and seemingly happy. Daryl still wouldn't make love to her because he was scared he might hurt her or press too hard on her scar. The doctor told them that they were good to go about a week ago but he wasn't taking any chances until the actual dressing was finally removed.

The doctor said she was fine now, lucky but fine. He had been stern to her telling her to keep an eye on her body and let him know any changes. Her expanding body could possibly put a strain on her body. She shouldn't take any risks because she could be prone to infection due to her body still recovering from everything. Daryl had taken all that on board and all bar gave her a princess pillow to sit on. 

'You wana pay some bills?' Merle asked her pointing her to the office which had a filing system of sorts. Between Daryl and Merle they scratched around trying to pay bills every week and keep up with ordering stuff. The garage was getting busier and busier, they sometimes had to do stuff at night to keep up. Now that they had taken on two new guys Merle was spending more and more time sorting it out. He didn't really enjoy it at all but he did it because it was either him or Daryl, Daryl had his head in the clouds wrapped up in Carol that he had paid one bill twice and not the other. Hense they had the power shut off for the garage and flat for a day while they sorted it all out. He wasn't allowed near the bills for a while.

'Ok, anything, show me!' Carol told him, he booted up the laptop and logged on showed him a list of things that needed ordered and codes and numbers, and a phone number. He handed her a cheque book and envelops to address, along with a stack of bills. 

'We also need coffee, and shit, you wana go to the store?' Merle asked her. Tossing down the credit card on the desk.

'I don't know am I allowed to go to the store  _alone?_ ' Carol asked him almost teasing because Daryl was often one step behind her all the time keeping an eye on her looking out for any signs that she was tired or sick or hungry. 

'Ya better ask the old feller, he don't want ya getting hurt! Daryl?' Merle called out to the garage. He was working under a hood with Ty, Martinez had made it his misson to work along side Merle every day. Merle still hadn't noticed even though Andrea, Carol and Daryl had.

'Yeah?' Daryl come to the door looking at them wiping his hands on a dirty rag. He looked a bit worried to see what they were talking about. Both Merle and Carol were starring at him like they had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar or something.

'She can go to the store?' Merle asked.

'She can do whatever she likes as long as she don't cut herself and not tell anyone! I'm not holding her hostage!' Daryl told them he wasn't, he just was sick with worry that something would happen and his gut was wound tight when he though how quickly things went wrong the other week.

'Ok what do we need?' Merle asked, 'I'm gona send her to the store, hand over ya wallet!'

Daryl rattled off a list of stuff and Carol wrote it all down. Merle wandered back off to do some work. He watched as she wrote a list of stuff for the garage.

'So I'm a runner now?' Carol asked him.

'Well ya the sexiest runner we ever had in the garage!' Daryl walked over and kissed her. Trying not to get oil on her. He was lucky she was wearing a black top that didn't leave a mark on her clothes.

'Hmmmmm I'm really bored!' Carol told him.

'Why don't you tee up that double date again with Rick and 'Chonne?' Daryl suggested. 

'Hmmmmm maybe I'll ring her, or I might go to Maggies or go see Glenn!" Carol asked him.

'Babe you don't need to ask me, I just had you here cos ya been so sick, and I wanted to keep ya close. You can do whatever ya want, I'm not ya keeper!' Daryl told her. 'Ya could go baby shopping? Go get some stuff we need? You know two pregnant ladies that would be interested in that stuff!' 

'You don't wana come shopping for stuff for the baby?' Carol asked him.

'Car seats and shit like that we need to figure out what fits in the truck and car, but I think I trust ya not to buy him a dress!' Daryl muttered bringing his mouth to her neck. 'If your really bored, we could take a shower at lunch time or something!' 

'I'm not that bored!" Carol teased him, Daryl blushed looking around to make sure no one was near by listening to him.

'We need to sort out the money thing, you don't need to ask me to go buy stuff for him, I'll set up a time at the bank this week so we both are on the account!' Daryl told her.

'Really?'

'What, why would ya be, ya gona be my wife. You don't need me to hold ya hand to go buy diapers or bacon or whatever!' Daryl leaned back sitting on the office table.

'Its just I was never allowed on the account with Ed!'

'Ya ain't with fucken Ed! Fuck that Fucker! Fuck him! Your with me, and we got him coming and he's gona need shit, you need to buy it or I'll just go buy whatever they point out!' Daryl run his hand through his hair. He hated talking about Ed. Hated the man. Every day he was tempted to go to the prison and threaten him for even breathing the same air on the same planet as Carol.

'Ok, so your going to give me your cash card today to go baby shopping?' Carol asked looking excited.

'As long as ya buy the shit for the shop first!' Daryl told her. Carol looked happy and excited for the first time in a long time about doing something.

'I'm going to ring Andrea and Maggie see if they want to come! I'm so excited!' Carol was almost bouncing up and down.

'Don't get to excited and bounce into a wall or something!'  Daryl told her. He bent over to kiss her again, resisting to put his hands everywhere and left the office as she was on the phone ringing Maggie and Andrea to sort things out. She imagined that Daryl's card might get a little work out today, he had told her that they were good for money and the garage was going well. Not to stress about it at all, but at the same time not to buy a $5000 dollar crib.

'


	30. Chapter 30

Carol pulled up in front of the work shop and tooted the horn. She was driving Daryl's truck because he deemed her car unreliable to do anything in apart from going to the trash heap. He had given her the keys to his truck. It was newer and he knew it wasn't going to break down on her. Merle come walking out  opening up the back door to get the bags she had there.

Daryl come out to check everything was ok. 

'Everything ok?' Daryl asked.

'Yes, I'm meeting Maggie and Andrea for lunch then we are going to look at baby stuff! Are you sure you don't want to look at prams?' Carol asked him.

'Do you want me to want to look at prams?' Daryl asked. 

'Well, you will be pushing a pram at some stage, something that you want to be seen with, height wise or anything?' Carol asked him.

'Don't buy a pink pram!' Daryl muttered,

'Pink pram Daryl?' Carol teased. 'I don't think they will a make a pink pram!'

'Ok, we don't want a pink one or a purple one or a bright one!' Daryl stated.

'You don't want a pink pram? But what if its really pretty?' Carol teased him. Daryl just stood there leaning in through the open window of the truck.

'You want me to lock ya upstairs or ya wana go shopping!' Daryl threatened.

'You know we could put him in a pink outfit and in a pink bassinet and he won't know!' Carol teased him.

'Ok out of the truck!" Daryl opened the truck door and threatened to lift her out of the truck. Carol giggled and squealed as he made to lift her out of her seat, he tickled her sides and she tried to stop laughing  and then looked at him with a look of horror on her face. Daryl quickly dropped his hands, he had done this to her last night in the bathroom and she had completely begged him to stop and she wet herself. Pregnant and key hole surgery, and on top of that her infection had made her bladder weak. As long as she could control her laughing without him tickling her. 

'Oh great you nearly made me pee my pants!' Carol hissed at him, she held her hand out so he could help her down so she could make one of her many daily trips to the toilet. He followed her towards the bathroom on the ground floor she turned at the last minute and headed upstairs. Daryl felt really bad for poking her well if he had to go before court he did tickle her again, and because he knew her bladder was weak since her attack he had now probably made her wet herself. He followed her upstairs waiting to find out if she was going to tell him it was too late and for him to grab her bag. He didn't release how weak Carol's bladder was and he had to stop teasing her because she couldn't hold it laughing to hard.

'Get me a change of pants!' Come the instructions from inside the bathroom as the shower turned on. Daryl felt like shit, it was the second time he had made her wet herself by teasing and tickling her in a week. He brought in a pair of black legging type things and a change of panties for her, and put it over the towel rail beside her bra and top that was hanging there. He wandered off to get her a towel thinking that he must remember not to keep doing that. 

'I'm really really sorry!' Daryl told her through the shower door. Carol peeked out from behind the door and looked at him.

'Well stop doing it then, you know I'm going to wet myself!' She growled at him turning off the shower and holding her hand out for the towel. He passed it to her.

'You need help?' Daryl asked hold her hand to guide her over the step of the shower. She took his hand and was mindful not to touch him due to him being covered in oil and grease from engines.

'Don't even think about it!' Carol hissed at him.

'What?' Daryl asked.

'Stop looking at me like that, you put one oily finger on me your a dead man, I'm going to run late for lunch!' Carol told him, grabbing her clothes to get past him to dry in the bedroom where there was more room for her to move around.

'Kiss please!' 

Carol leaned forward giving him a peck on the mouth sinking in for a bigger kiss, keep him away so he wouldn't touch her. 'Move please!' Daryl backed out of the bathroom and followed her lying on the bed watching her dress.

'Get off the bed your going to get it dirty!' Carol told him.

'I will in a minute, I'm just watching!' He muttered, stretching and putting his arms up behind his head. Admiring the view, he knew she was aware of he size now but her baby bump was all baby, and her breasts were bigger again in size. He didn't mind taking it on the chin to watch her dress, and move around naked in front of him. Making sure she didn't fall or sneeze or have an itch that he needed to help scratch. In fact he could lie there all day watching. He was sporting a throbbing dick that he hoped she couldn't see through his overalls.

'Ugh don't! If you want to help, help me step into my pants!' Carol told him, she couldn't be bother bending down, she was tired already. He helped her with her shoes and walked her out to the truck. He handed her her bag which she had packed another change of clothes just in case. Honestly she was done in before she even left the garage. Maybe she should just go for lunch.

'Ya sure ya don't need to pee again?' He asked her. She shook her head and backed out of the lot heading towards where she was meeting the girls.

Lunch out with the girls was good, Carol needed to do it blow away some cobwebs. Andrea had been out visiting some friends and joined Maggie and Carol for lunch. Maggie was on a break from work so she couldn't go baby shopping. Andrea was meeting someone after lunch so it was just going to be Carol to go look through the shops on her own. She walked back to the truck by this stage she was yawning and could quite happily go to sleep standing upright. She had been napping every day for two or three hours and today was her first day doing anything that didn't involve lying about.

She hopped into the truck and put the keys in the ignition and turned the truck on, idling it for a minute. She sat there and yawned. She turned the truck off and wound down the window looked at her watch. She dug around in her purse looking for her phone and pulled it out and took a breath and dialed. Knowing that Daryl would probably freak out but it would be worse if she fell asleep driving and she could hardly keep her eyes open.

'It's me!' She said into the phone. 'I need you to come and get me!'

Carol listened and interrupted Daryl on the other end.

'I'm ok I'm just really tired and can't drive, come get me!' Carol looked around and gave him the street name of where she was. She sat back in the seat and shut her eyes for a moment. The next thing she knew the driver door opened and Daryl was standing there. He shook her awake a little and helped her out of the seat and got her into the passenger side. He waved Merle off as he headed back to the garage in the tow truck.

'You want to go home or to the garage?' He asked her.

'You!' Was all she could get out before she started to snore again. He could barely wake her and between Merle and him managed to get her up the stairs and into bed quickly. Daryl carried her realizing how much bigger she had actually got since the last time he had picked her up. She was just about all baby. Her boobs were bigger, she snuggled into his shoulder and let out a snore. Merle snorted as he pulled back the sheets for Daryl to put her in. Merle tugged off her shoes and Daryl indicated for him to leave as he got her pants and managed to unhook her bra.

Carol didn't move, he took her temperature just in case and she was fine. Just extremely tired from the huge outing to the store and lunch. He knew she would be tired, the doctor told him that she would be tired for a while maybe even up to when the baby arrived. Her body had taken a real beating through this pregnancy. He put a water bottle by the bed and her cell phone just in case she woke and wanted him. He and Merle would be up and down the rest of the afternoon checking on her anyway.

 


	31. Chapter 31

Carol rolled over in the bed, stretching, looking around seeing that she was in Daryl's bed. He must have broken his back carrying her up here she thought. She was still tired. Her whole body was tired. She still had 10weeks to go. She couldn't imagine getting to full size. She was going to be beyond tired by that time.

She pulled up her phone looking at the time, she had been asleep for ages, it was nearly knock off time. She was going to have get out of bed to go home. She couldn't really be bothered. To tired even getting out of the bed. She heard someone coming into the flat probably to check on her. She lifted her head seeing Daryl peeking at her from the doorway.

'I'm awake!' Carol told him.

'You have been asleep for hours, you ok?' Daryl asked walking into the room looking at her. She held her hand out so he could help her up to go to the bathroom. She stopped by the kitchen for something to eat. He stood there watching her as she yawned her way around the flat then, leaned into him for a cuddle not even noticing that he was still in his overalls. She was almost asleep on the feet. She yawned again almost trying to snuggle up into his arms, with her eyes shut. He scooped her up and got her back to the bed.

'Just tired, really tired, should I be so tired I can't even drive?' Carol asked Daryl, he looked at his watch and pulled out his wallet going through it trying to locate a card for the obgyn so they could check. She didn't have a temp or anything but she was beyond tired. She started mumbling to him about random stuff that didn't even make sense. He asked her a question but she told him what she wanted for dinner. She wasn't making sense at all.

'I'm gona ring and ask, or you wana ring?' Daryl asked.

'I'm to tired to talk!' Carol muttered shutting her eyes, yawning and shutting her eyes. Daryl watched her fall asleep before his eyes. He got worried that things were going to end up in the hospital tonight he started pulling off his clothes and walking into the shower and dialing at the same time to talk to someone about her. He managed to get a hold of her actual Obgyn and told her what was going on. 

She wanted to see her as soon as possible to check her out. Daryl moved through the shower quickly and managed to get dressed and dried quickly pulling on boxer, jeans, and a shirt. He put deodorant on watching her sleep. He ducked down stairs to tell Merle what was going on. Daryl woke Carol up to get her into pants and shoved some of her clothes in a bag to go. 

Between Daryl and Merle they managed to get her into the truck to go to the hospital. She was sleeping when they arrived, the doctor mentioned over the phone she could be lacking in iron, they would run a blood test to check her out. Also giving her a check up wouldn't hurt. 

Carol was awake enough that she could walk by herself with Daryl's arm around her into the hospital, her doctor had stayed late to see her. She had been there from the day she found out she was pregnant and had taken a special interest in Carol's health since the night they brought her in bloody and bruised and nearly lost her baby.

They drew blood from her arm and run it off to the lab to check it. She checked the baby, noting that she was getting bigger and the baby was doing well. Carol and Daryl were sent into a private room to wait because Carol kept trying to go to sleep sitting upright. A nurse had found Daryl with Carol asleep in his lap in the waiting room, with her head sleeping against his shoulder had decided she would be more comfortable in a bed. He lifted her and followed the nurse to the room and put her on the bed. The nurse covered her up after she pulled off her shoes. Daryl stretched his shoulders he had carried her more times than he could ever count today.

The doctor came into the room after looking at the test results and told Daryl and  a half asleep Carol that she was extremely low in Iron possibly due to the blood loss from her attack and her body was still playing catch up. Good meals, lots and lots of sleep. He gave her a script for extra vitiams and wanted to see them in a few days. By the time they left it was getting really late and with all the sleeping Carol was now actually awake looking for food.

 'Do you want me to run into the supermarket and get something you want?' Daryl suggested.

'Hmmmmmm can we get something and cook at home? Do I need to eat steak and liver now?' Carol asked making a face. She was starting to sniff in the passenger seat about eating liver, that she didn't want to. She really didn't know what she wanted or what she wanted to do, she just couldn't think. She was in-between tired and slept to long feelings and she couldn't get herself together.

'It wouldn't hurt to eat some red meat!' Daryl said driving along, wondering actually when the last time she ate meat that wasn't bacon. He knew he kept shoving fruit and vegetables in her direction. She was tired, grumpy and irrational by this stage and he was trying to get her home without a major blow up, he could feel her ticking like a time bomb in the seat beside him. He could tell, she had either had too much sleep or her hormones were all over the show and he knew better than to mention her hormones.

'And you think I'm fat!' Carol started to sob, Daryl glanced at her sideways as he drove into the car park of the supermarket and found a park. She was sobbing.

'I don't think your fat!' Daryl unclicked his seat belt and moved over as much as he could to comfort her as she cried, 'Your not fat, your pregnant!' Daryl tried again hoping he wasn't really going to fuck this up to something that she would never speak to him again. 

'Yes you do, you don't want to touch me anymore because I'm fat!' She sobbed. It dawned on Daryl that she was talking about their lack of sex since she had been cleared by the doctor. 'Your still mad at me!"

'Oh god, Carol I'm not mad anymore, I don't think your fat either. I think you look amazing, and ya belly, well that's my baby in there!' Daryl told her, knowing he better really choose his words wisely. 'If ya think I'm not touching ya because your fat your wrong! I wana touch ya! I'm just scared, ya know everything keeps going wrong, I just didn't wana hurt ya!............... But if ya wana have sex now, come sit on my lap!' Daryl patted his knees and started undoing his belt, leaning his seat into the layback position.

Carol looked at him and started to giggle, she had tears and was trying not to laugh because there would be no way that she would fit between him and the steering wheel of the truck, not to mention they were in the supermarket car park.

'Babe your the hottest pregnant women I know and I know 3 of them, lets get food and go home  with a movie and we will see about the other thing or take a bath together and I'll force myself to touch ya ok?' Daryl looked at her and gave her a wee grin. 'You going to come in?'

'Yeah I need to use the bathroom!' Carol stated.

'That doesn't surprise me!' Daryl commented getting out and coming around to her side of the car. He reached up and tried to help her wipe her tears away, lifting her down the step, and hugging her to him, putting his hand on her arse. 'See touching!' 

It was dark in the carpark and he let his other hand run up to her breast pulling her in for a kiss. 'I really really wana touch ya!' He muttered, he could feel his body starting to react to hers and if he didn't watch it he would be sporting a hard on walking around the store. 'Come on!'

He grabbed her hand and walked with her to the entrance, grabbing a trolley to push around the store. He started throwing in random stuff they needed at the house, they walked isle by isle, moving quietly together until they got to the baby isle looking around them they didn't realise how many different things you could buy for a baby.

'Shit do we have to buy all this shit?' Daryl asked picking up a pack of diapers. Carol reached out and took them from him, shaking her head.

'Some stuff but not all!' She threw in a couple of packs of newborn sized diapers and some wipes, looking around to see if they should get anything else. She picked up some nipple cream looking at it then a few different brands and threw them all in the trolley.

'What's the nipple cream for?' Daryl asked picking out a box of the trolley reading the small print on the back.

'For your nipples Daryl!'

'But why?' He looked at her.

'Well the book said that I should have some nipple cream just in case!' Daryl stood there starring at her, then it dawned on her.

'How do you think we are going to feed him Daryl?' Carol asked him.

'I don't know, I didn't really think about it!' He admitted. 'You didn't say or nothing!'

'Well hopefully from these cannon balls hanging off my chest!' Carol told him.

'Ok, I read it in the book, but ya never said or nothing!' Daryl stated, not believing they were having a big conversation about nipples in the middle of the store. 'Won't it get in his mouth the cream? Won't make him sick?'

'I don't think so, its made for nipples, I will check though ok!" 

Daryl walked along the isle looking at the toys picking them up and putting them down, he threw a blue bear into the trolley and some rubber ducks. Carol looked at him.

'That's for me, I never had a duck in the bath before! Or a teddy bear!' He stated. Carol kinda believed him he had filled her in a little about his upbringing but she was sure he was teasing her a little so she wouldn't say anything about him putting toys in the trolley.

He grabbed some steaks and some veggies that could be steamed in the microwave, and potato's that if he cut up small enough he could have mashed potatos with steaks within 20 minutes of being home. He grabbed some gravy to go on his potato's. By the time they got to the check out he had his arm around Carol, as she was starting to flag. They had only been in the store a little over 20minutes. He knew she would rest on the couch while he cooked for her tonight.

He pulled up the drive ringing ahead to Merle to come help Carol was asleep. Merle did Daryl a favour by lifting her and putting her on the couch while Daryl and Andrea followed with shopping bags. Daryl and Merle moved quickly around the kitchen putting stuff away. Daryl stood at the island bar chopping potato's and throwing them into a pot. Merle had boiled the jug and Daryl rinsed them and put them on the already going stove, Merle poured boiling water over them and shoved a lid on.

Merle threw frozen veg in the mircowave while Daryl started heating up the electric fry pan to cook the steak. Merle was onto it with the gravy. Andrea watched as both men moved fast they had done this before put a nice meal together quickly.

Daryl shook Carol awake for her dinner. She was surprised she was on the couch not in the truck and looked around seeing Merle and Andrea sitting at the dinner table eating and talking. 'You wana eat here or there?' 

Carol moved to get him and he helped her, she headed to the bathroom and then joined everyone to eat, surprised she ate it all. She then snuggled up beside Daryl on the couch for a bit talking with Andrea and Merle watching a movie. Well they watched and Carol slepted on Daryl's shoulder. After the movie they all headed to their rooms and Daryl suggested having a shower together, Carol was tired really tired, but yet she could still stay awake long enough to touch him for a bit while they washed each other.

Settling back into bed, Daryl was touching her as he promised, kissing and stroking her back, and kissing her shoulder, but in reality what he did was stroked her back until she fell asleep. He knew she could barely stay awake. Now they knew what the problem was Daryl was thinking he could wait til she was not so shattered. He was happy enough watching her naked body sleep beside him, watching her belly move and he had a great view of her breast.

 

 

 

 


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> going to do a wee time jump here.

The following weekend Carol was feeling heaps better and wanted to actually go out and do something. She didn't care what she just wanted to leave the house and go. Daryl did a mental check list of things that had been suggested that she could do, if she wanted to. One thing that her doctor had been pushing for them to do for a few weeks now that Carol was having no part of at all.

She could go swimming, which she said a big hell no to, not with this huge belly out the front. Daryl was a little disappointed because he thought her belly was cute and the water would take the pressure off her body according to the books. 

Her doctor said it would take pressure off all round and went as far to say to try and swim every day. Every day Daryl had suggested going to the local pool and every day she shot him down. Today wasn't her lucky day because Maggie and Glenn were visiting and Andrea over heard them talking about it.

Andrea was moping around the house complaining to Merle about doing something and over heard Daryl's suggestion of swimming and seemed excited by the idea. She had a sore back and sore everywhere she had been complaining for days. Merle suspected she had a pinched nerve or something and taking her to the doctors confirmed she had a pinched nerve between her rib cage. 

This halted her steps and breath about every ten minutes. In the beginning she thought she was having a heart attack but she wasn't it was just her boobs changing shape and sleeping funny she had managed to do it.

'Carol lets go swimming, it will be fun, I have a couple of swim suits that will fit you and your baby bump I brought some last week when the doctor suggested swimming!" Andrea insisted that Carol come and try it on.

Maggie who was sporting a smaller belly than the others said she would be keen to go as well, so Glenn and Maggie left to go get their gear not before organizing to met every one in about 45minutes at the local pool.

'I haven't shaved or waxed in months Andrea!' Carol hissed at her following her into the bedroom.

'So go shave it!' Andrea told her.

'I can't see it!' Carol stated.

'Well I could do it? or get Daryl to do it!' Andrea told her.

'I'm not getting Daryl to wax my bits!' Carol hissed.

'Well I will then, have you got strips? I have some!' Andrea pushed and pushed until she agreed to let her wax her. She normally waxed her bikini line but since her attack she had let it all go. Daryl really hadn't said anything, Carol doubted he ever would he was happy if he was getting some, at the moment they still were not getting any.

Daryl and Merle were sitting out in the lounge wondering what was going on in the bedroom, Carol was crying and Andrea was laughing. Daryl had tried to go in and Andrea had shooed him away insisting that everything was fine and he needed to go get his swimsuit or shorts or towels. 

'Get our gear ready to go swimming and pack some snacks!' Come out Andrea's words. Daryl packed a bag with towels and shampoo/conditioner. He stood there thinking and grabbed moisturizer  that she put all over herself at every bath or shower and her make up bag. Hoping he had done well. He looked in the drawers pulling out some panties and a bra as Andrea called down the hall they were wearing their suits under their clothes.

The women come out of the bedroom. Daryl looked at Carol to check why she had been crying in the room she seemed fine.

'You ok?' He asked her.

'I'm fine!'

'Why were you crying?' He asked.

'I always cry, its hormones!' She stated walking out to the truck behind Andrea to get in the truck.

'Oh my god Andrea, you tricked me!' Carol batted Andrea's hand as they sat in the back of Daryl's truck.

'No I didn't!' She whispered.

'I'm wearing fucken boyleg swim suit and I just let you wax everything!" Carol hissed at her.

Daryl and Merle heads whipped up at this new news. Daryl was watching through the mirror, with what was a smile on his face.

'Its not all gone, some is still there!' Andrea whispered.

'Whats not all gone?' Asked Daryl.

'Nothing! Nothing is not all gone!' Carol groaned leaning back onto her seat. She had been well and truly tricked into everything today.

 

 


	33. Chapter 33

Maggie and Glenn were already in the water when the arrived. Glenn was floating around with Maggie on his back. Andrea took one look at her tiny bump.

'We look like hippo's next to her!' Andrea hissed.

'Why the hell did you think I didn't want to come swimming!' Carol hissed back.

'You didn't say anything though!' Andrea whispered.

'What! I said 'I don't want to go swimming!'' Carol hissed again. 'Now its too late, Merle and Daryl are in the pool starring at us!"

They moved quickly into the changing rooms, Andrea and Carol pulled off their shoes and pants shoving them into their bag, pulling off their tops looking in the mirror.

'Why did I think this was a good idea! Look at me!" Andrea groaned. 'I used to be hot!'

'Well at least your not as big as me!' Carol told her.

Andrea grabbed both bags and Carol had no choice but to follow her and slip into the pool as quickly as possible so no one saw her. Daryl moved closer to her.

'I'm not talking to you either!' Carol hissed at him.

'Babe don't be like that!' He moved around putt his arms under her and floated her up against him. Pulling his lips on her neck, towing her over towards the others. They moved so they sat near a spot that offered jets to go into your back. 

Carol had to admit that the jets felt great on her back. She moved her body this way and that. She had to admit her body felt great in the water, she wasn't about to tell Daryl that though. She was going to keep that to herself.

'Feels good right, I can tell by the way your groaning!' Daryl whispered in her ear.

Carol looked sideways at him, he was sitting by her with a smirk on his face because he knew she felt good.

'Don't get to cocky, Andrea made me wax then gave me a boylegg swimsuit to wear!' Carol whispered to him. Andrea and Merle had moved off the wall towards a deeper part of the pool, Merle thought if she stretched out more she might be able to move that trapped nerve.

'I'll check it out later, but you look cute!' Daryl told her.

'Cute? Really Daryl!' Carol looked at him.

'You got this cute belly and cute little shorts on!' Daryl whispered.

'Don't look to hard Daryl you want to be able to get out of the pool again, don't be a pervert!'  Carol whispered at him, Daryl reached out and brought her head to him to kiss her, quickly. He looked around to make sure no one was watching him too closey and he put his hand on her belly to rub it.

'Its cute!' Daryl said again.

'Well you are the reason I have this sticking out the front of me!' Carol growled at him removing his hand rolling over onto her belly floating resting her arms on the side of the pool.

'Its all mine babe!' Daryl told her rolling over himself to copy what she was doing. He pushed himself off the wall going under the water. 'Come on lets actually move around a bit you will feel better!'

'Fine! Don't let me drown though!' Carol yawned already, the water was taking it out of her.

Half an hour later saw Daryl and Carol in the couples changing rooms trying to get dressed. Daryl had other things on  his mind when he saw her naked under the shower. Carol batted his roaming hands away telling him it was a no go and other people were waiting for them to get out of the showers. They quickly moved to get dressed and sure as anything both Carol and Andrea fell asleep on the way home.

Both men lifted their women into the house and put them in the bed. Daryl yawned himself wandering into the kitchen to take something out for dinner. He put it on the bench looking at the time it was 3pm Carol would probably sleep for a few more hours he planned to go join her in bed. Merle never come out of the bedroom when he took Andrea in so he assumed that they were both sleeping. Yawning again he headed off to bed himself climbing in beside Carol wrapping his arms around her he was asleep in minutes


	34. Chapter 34

'Daryl, Daryl..' 

Daryl mumbled in his sleep, trying to wake himself up his whole body was tired and he yawned looking around it was pitch black. 

'What, everything alright?' Daryl mumbled wondering what was going on.

'There's a power cut, I need to go to the toilet. I'm scared I'm going to fall.' Carol told him.

Daryl rolled out of the side of the bed and stumbled around to her side. 'Put your hands on me I'll go first.' 

He was still half asleep, how long had they been sleeping he didn't know, he managed to get her on the toilet without much fuss telling her to stay there while he lit some of the many many candles she had in her room. He crawled around the bedroom floor looking for his pants which held his lighter and flicked it to start lighting. He took one into the bathroom which helped Carol see a bit better.

'Everything ok?' He asked. She nodded stretching a bit.

'Hungry though.' She told him, he nodded and grabbed a big candle and went out in search for food. He looked at the clock seeing it was 9pm, meaning they both slept for about 6hours, almost a full nights sleep for him. He quickly made some sandwiches as Merle stumbled out into the lounge in the dark in his boxers.

'The fuck happened to the lights?' Merle growled.

'Power cut, I'm making theses then getting some stuff and going back to bed. You both ok?' Daryl asked. 

'Yeah, Andrea's got candles and shit going, pretty romantic Daryl.' Merle smirked. 'Wana screw around?'

'Shut the fuck up Merle!' Daryl growled and tried to kick Merle as he pretended to put the moves on him in the candle light. 'Fucken arse, don't you made me drop it!'

Merle slapped him on the arse and borrowed the candle to look in the fridge for drinks.

'Your no fun baby brother!' Merle teased.

'Stop Merle, I want to get this back before she decides she too tired to do stuff!' Daryl muttered throwing his food onto a tray. 'Don't come in unless the house is on fire right!'

'Your planning on doing stuff in candle light Daryl? What sort of stuff?' Merle teased coming back out with some food and walking out with Daryl's candle, Daryl had no choice but to get Merle to walk him to the bedroom door by candle light.

'Want a kissy Daryl?' Merle puckered up his lips to pretend to kiss him.

'Were you always such a fuckwitt!' Daryl growled at him, doing a balancing act to get the door open and avoiding Merles lips that were coming close to tease him. 'Stop!' 

Daryl got into the room and leaned back onto the door. Carol was sitting on the bed flicking through a mag in candle light. He put the food on the bed which she pounced on.

'You wana take a bath?' Daryl asked her. In his head he was thinking that girls like candles and baths and it might get him in if he was interested in being romantic with her. She looked up at him and nodded with a mouth full of sandwich.

'You want to take a candle lit bath?' She asked him. 

'Hmmmm yip, why not. You eat and I will fill it!' He grabbed a sandwich and shoved it into his mouth and set about filling a bath up in her massive tub for them. He tipped in some oil stuff he knew she liked, yes he was going to be romantic. Hell yeah if it meant he might be able to get her naked and possibly get them busy in bed later he was quite happy to sit in a oily bath and snuggle with her.

When it was full he come out to see if she was ready, he moved some candles in there and ate the rest of the sandwiches while she moved around getting undress and getting towels out of the cupboard. She was walking around naked  and soon Daryl was sporting a hard on that he wouldn't be able to hide getting into the bath. He decided that he was get in first while she was still mucking around. Leaning back he watched her move to get into the bath. He put his hand up in a stop motion.

'Carol?' He said, 'Have you got something to show me?'

Carol blushed, 'Is it bad, Andrea went to town!' She turned around and tried to see how Andrea had waxed it. She had still had her knickers on and she only did one side at a time. Carol was trying to move her tummy to see. 'Oh My God!' 

Carol turned and looked at him. 'She made a heart!' She hissed at Daryl.

Her face was flaming.

'It looks ummmmmmm nice?' Daryl held his hand out to her trying not to snicker, Carol was fuming and Daryl thought it looked hot. It wasn't doing his dick any favours.

'Daryl, come on, if I went into labour tonight what would they think?'

'They would think you gave them something really cute to look at.' Daryl couldn't help it, he let out a snort.

'Its not funny.' Carol hissed. Daryl stopped laughing knowing she held the power and if she got in a grump with him she would cut him off anything he was planning tonight.

She leaned back into his chest rubbing her hands down his legs, 'Mmmmmmm this is nice.'

He wrapped his arms around her leaning back and shutting his eyes. Yes it was nice. They sat in the bath talking quietly until Daryl's wandering hands got the better of them both and he had to help heave her out. 

They blew out all the candles apart from a couple on the wee drawers by the side of the bed. Daryl climbed into bed beside her and resumed his wandering hands. Carols hands joined his seeking out his shoulders and arms running her hands over him. He rolled her onto her back and started to kiss her every where. He rolled her so she was on top of him. A position that she wasn't that confident in. He helped guide her onto him. He groaned as she slide down his hard dick. He had to bite his lip because it was so good and they hadn't had sex in so long.

She moved slightly waiting to adjust to his size and the position and began to move with him. He helped her set the pace. After a minute he leaned forward to suck her nipples a kiss her mouth, he moved taking her with him to sit on the side of the bed moving with her with his feet on the ground. She leaned back so he could his her g-stop and he rubbed at her clit with one hand using his other to support her. He could feel her getting wet around him, she was watching his face as she came hard and heavy onto him flopping her head on his shoulder. He finished seconds after her as watching her face was the end for him, watching her face as she came.

They sat there for a few minutes catching their breathes. 

'You ok babe?' Daryl asked her, as she hadn't said a word since they finished.

'Yeah, good, really good!' She whispered moving off him and crawling onto the bed flopping onto it patting the bed beside her. Daryl fell back and wriggled till he managed to slip in really close. Pulling a blanket up and both of them snuggled into each other. Daryl looked up and blew out the remaining candles so they could sleep.

 


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going to be a wee time jump, going to get her to 6 weeks out. Sorry I let this fic slow down I just lost my grove. As you do.

'I think its time to be realistic here Carol,' Her doctor said running the scan across her stomach. Daryl was standing by her side holding her hand. She had been experiencing pains in her lower stomach for days to the point of crying and on her hands and knees.

'You need to have your baby sooner rather than later. Its not ideal but if you keep going your going to cause more damage on all your sites that have been repaired.' She said. Daryl looked pale almost white, he tried to hide it from Carol who was glancing between the doctor and him.

'Why?' Carol muttered. 'He's too small.'

'He's not too small, we have babies here that are smaller than him, with your permission I would like to start you on steroids to boost his lungs and get this baby out of here by the end of the week.' She said.

'End of the week?' Daryl managed to get out. 

'Generally with any sort of opperation on the stomach there is a general waiting time to get pregnant so scars and the body can recover, Carol hasn't had that. Her body hasn't had a chance to rest or recover. If he gets any larger, we risk internal bleeding and more surgery.' She told them.

Carol nodded quietly with tears rolling down the sides of her eyes almost to her ears. Daryl reached out and wiped them away. To be honest he felt like crying himself but he was trying to keep his shit together.

'If we do this right, his time in the baby unit could be kept to minimum and if you establish feeding patterns early that will help also.' She told them. Daryl nodded Caryl was too far gone to even listen to make sense on what was going on.

'I'm going to settle you into a room Carol, but you can go home and just come in every day until Thursday night and we will see if he will come out. We want to avoid a C section, but I want to talk with a surgen to see if that might be the way to go and he can repair any thing that needs doing at the same time.' She told them.

Daryl was dumb founded. He couldn't believe they were just sitting there talking about his baby and Carol like it would all just go easy. One thing he knew that things hadn't gone easy since Ed attacked her. He was holding it together in the hopes of not going to the prison to kill that son of a bitch for what he done to his family.

'Its going to be ok, he's going to be fine,' Daryl leaned over and kissed her head. He helped her move to the sit up position. Pulling her shirt down and her pants up a little helping her off the bed. She was a little wobbly. She nodded at him holding onto the belt loops of his jeans to steady herself. Daryl was talking out his arse reality was that he was shitting himself badly. He felt sick to his stomach not knowing what the rest of the week would bring.

She hadn't said anything at all about anything. She seemed to accept their fate that their baby needed to get out before she got any more damage done to her she would have life long problems. 

A kind nurse got them set up in a room so they could sit quietly waiting for the first lots of steriods for Carol. Then they could go home and relax apparently. Daryl had no idea how that would happen because his heart was racing and he was having trouble breathing. 

'We don't have anything ready, we don't have anything for him. Just a few singlets.' Carol mumbled.

'I don't think we are taking him home for a bit Carol, he has to stay in the special baby unit she said.' Daryl told her.

'Oh,'

'He's going to be too little to go home. We can get some stuff on the way home if you want.' Daryl offered knowing that they could get some stuff or Andrea could get some stuff or if worse come to worse he could go plead a sales girl to help him get some stuff.

'He's too small,' Carol whispered.

'Babe your not doing well, he needs a healthy Mama,' Daryl told her. 

The doctor come into the room with some meds for Carol to take. She injected her with them just in case they needed to move faster than Thursday. They needed the steroids to be on board over a three day period. 

'So I rung the lovely nurses through in the baby unit, and if you want to, you can go through there and take a look. See where he will be going when he's born.' The doctor said. Daryl nodded, and Carol just stared at her.

'Yeah we would like that.' Daryl said. He didn't know if he wanted to do that or not but it seemed like a good idea so they wouldn't be shocked when the end of the week come about. 'Carol, want to take a wee walk to see?'

Carol just nodded and he took her hand to follow the doctor down the hall through special locked doors to see the special baby unit.

 


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter at the moment. writting this chapter on my own experiences on the baby unit in New Zealand. It may be different in your Country.

Daryl felt completely overwhelmed as they were given a quick tour of the special baby unit. They were told not to stare into the baby incubators unless another parent invited them to look. A women took pity on them and smiled and said hello. Guiding a shocked looking Carol towards her little baby pointing out what was going on. 

Daryl shook hands with a father who was sitting by a baby in an incubator. It seemed like everyone knew each other. Daryl was pumping a young nurse for all the information she could give him. Carol was talking to a doctor who suggested that if she could to start expressing milk for her baby, it was all there and if she could get some out and freeze it it will be the best food for her baby. 

They gave her a folder of information that they suggested they read before the baby arrived at the end of the week. They showed Carol how to express milk by hand, giving her syringes to store it. He would only take small amounts at a time, also they told her her milk might come in slow due to having a c section if they try repair some damage from her attack. Having her milk on hand until she can get there to feed him. They would syringe feed or tube feed him. 

Carol didn't know how she felt about that. They told her by not tube feeding him chances of him latching to her would be better. They also could bring her to him in her bed, and once she could sit up, she could come in a wheel chair to feed him. Carol nodded listening. Daryl was watching and listening to them. He also was jotting down notes on the folder the nurse had given him.

 He felt like his head was going to explode. Too much information over a short period of time was getting insane. They seemed to know what they were talking about.

'Will we be able to hold him?' Daryl asked.

'Yes if he's stable, we encourage skin on skin, if Mama is not here Dad's can do, put him down your shirt.' The doctor told him.

'She wants to feed him?' Daryl asked.

'Yes we encourage that, we will try and latch him quickly, we don't know he could come out and be fine just tiny or he could come out and need help with breathing, we don't know...' The doctor said.

After they asked a few more questions they made it to the lift where Carol burst into tears Daryl pulled her to him, stroking her hair, half carrying her half walking her out to the car park and helping get her into the truck. He run his hand through his hair moving around the truck climbing in beside her and pulling her into his arms, they both sat there. Carol crying into his shoulder and Daryl had quiet tears rolling down his face, not wanting to give totally into crying due to upsetting her even more.  


She eventually stilled as he stroked her hair she was shattered and had fallen into a fitful sleep, he managed to get his phone out to text Merle, and tell him to ask Andrea to meet them at the house. Daryl moved her in her seat and put her seat belt on and drove home quietly. He lifted her out of the truck and made it to the front door and Andrea flung it open.

Andrea took in Daryl's face and could see he had been crying, Carol was fitful in her sleep and she moved quickly through to pull back their sheets. She looked at him and he just shook his head.

'Babies coming on Friday, he's hurting her, her scars and stuff. They are scared she's going to start tearing in her scar's.' Daryl told Andrea as they walked out into the hall. 'Most of the time when you have an operation you dont get pregnant straight away. He's going to rip the scar's if he get much bigger or something like that.'

'He's coming on Friday? This Friday?' Andrea asked, Daryl just nodded and flopped onto the couch. 

'They gave her steriods, for his lungs and she's got to pump some milk. I've got stuff in the truck to read if you wana go get it?' Daryl told her.

'Are you ok?'

'No I'm, I don't know. He's got to go into the baby unit. Its all fucked up. ' Daryl told her.

Andrea moved around and started to make dinner for them all wondering what they would need to get ready for him. If he was going to be in the baby unit for a few weeks they had time. Andrea run her hands over her own baby bump thankful that her baby was safe at the moment.

 

 

 


	37. Chapter 37

Carol woke up in her bed with Daryl stroking and talking quietly to the baby. In her sleep state he seemed to be telling the baby that everything was going to be fine and he was going to be fine and his Mama was going to be fine. The baby was kicking his hands as he stroked her belly, she could tell he had snaked his hands up her shirt while she was sleeping, it was interesting because he touched the baby often but this was the first time she had heard him having a full on conversation with the baby. 

His face was near her belly, and he was resting his head on a pillow talking quietly to her belly. Carol was amazed at the conversation he was having it was a well thought out planned conversation. 

'I'm your Daddy, and I'm going to marry your Mama soon ok, so don't worry about that,' He spoke quietly to her tummy. The baby gave a kick.

Carol didn't let on she was awake, Daryl was still talking to the baby telling him that he loved him already and he would make sure his Mama didn't name him anything stupid like 'Thadues, or Windzer.' or anything girly like 'Quinn or boring like Micheal and Steven,' Carol gave a little snicker and he knew she was awake.

'Nothing boring, how long have you been talking to the baby?' Carol asked him. 

'A little while, we talking about stuff, one kick for yes two kicks for no.' Daryl muttered stroking his hand over the baby bump being rewarded with a kick, 'See he don't want no girly name.' He bent down and kiss the baby bump.

Carol giggled. 'Thadues? Who would call their baby Thadues?'

'You would be surprised, look at this baby book, we just can't call him baby Dixon, he needs a name, and do you wana marry me tomorrow? or the next?' Daryl asked her.

'No to the baby Dixon, and tomorrow? Are you serious?' Carol asked.

'Yeah, while you were sleeping I ducked out to go check the deal and we can get married tomorrow or the next day, before he comes,' Daryl asked her again.

'You went to check if we could get married and your picking out baby names?' Carol mumbled half asleep still. 'I need to go toilet, help me.'

'Ok, I want to get married before he comes, I want to make sure I'm his Daddy,' Daryl muttered.

'You are his Daddy, Daryl what's the big fuss,' Carol asked him.

Daryl looked away, then back at her. 'If anything happens or goes wrong I want him to know we were married and we wanted him,'

'Like what?'

'Something goes wrong, with him, or you I want you to know,' Daryl muttered looking at the floor.

'Want us to know what? That you love us? That you love me? and him?' Carol asked as she got to the door of the bathroom. 'We know. I need to pee then we will talk ok.' 

Carol pushed shut the bathroom door and leaned her forehead against it, she knew why he wanted to marry her before the baby came, legally he had better access to everything at the hospital because they were married and not just the boyfriend or the father. He would have equal rights to the baby in the baby unit, she wouldn't need to give permission for him to be there. Especially if things went wrong with her, he knew how hard it had been for him to get access to her when she was in intensive care and she didn't want to do that again.

She went to the toilet and began to run a bath. Her body was starting to fail her everything hurt, even her heart. Daryl was saying the things she didn't want to hear. She knew it was all coming to a head. She would marry him even if they ducked down to the court house tomorrow without anyone knowing, they could do a wedding with others later, she knew she had to do this for the baby and for Daryl. 

Daryl tapped at the door and come in, 'You ok? I didn't mean to upset you.'

'I know, we need to be realistic, I will, I will marry you tomorrow, but quietly, I don't want a fuss.' Carol told him. 'Lets just get the paper work done, then later we will do it properly ok.'

'Tomorrow?' He asked quietly.

'Yes, on our way to get more injections,' Carol sighed, lifting her arms up to get him to help with taking off her clothes, Daryls hands skimmed down the sides of her body. 'Don't even go there, everything hurts.'

'Really bad?' He asked, 'You hungry? Want me to get you something?'

'Yes really bad, and yes hungry,' Carol told him, he held her hands as she stepped into the bath. Moving to sit down, her belly was huge in Dary's option, he didn't know how she could last another 6 weeks, or 5 weeks by the end of the week, he traced some fine stretch marks that were marking her. Carol looked at him, he just went back to touching her belly.

'We should take some photos of it, while he's still in there,' Daryl told her.

'Seriously no one needs to see photos of my belly.' Carol told him, 'No one will want to look at them.'

'I will, its cute, you have my baby in there, hang on I'll get the camera,' Daryl moved to leave the bathroom, Carol squealed at him.

'No you don't, no way, I'm naked in the bath,' Carol told him.

'So,'

'No, I'll wrap myself in a sheet or something and you can get snap happy later ok, get me a drink please and some thing to, what else do we need to do for tomorrow?' Carol asked him.

'Birth certificate, money and a ring, not much, you and me.' Daryl told her leaving the room to go get her self something to eat.

Carol leaned back in the bath watching her baby move around in the water, he was kicking hard. She tried to think of a name for him and was coming up blank. Daryl come in with a bottle of water and handed it to her.

'We can get dinner soon, or you want to eat something in the bath?' He asked her.

'Eat in the bath, then dinner.' She told him.

Daryl brought her something to nibble on in the bath, Daryl stretched out on the bed reading the baby name book when he heard her calling him.

'I can't get out!'

'Roll onto your side or something,' he walked into the bathroom and tried to move her, he couldn't lift her full body out of the water. 

'Roll onto your hands and knees and we will try it that way,' She rolled and he couldn't move her.

He pulled the plug out because he was worried that she would drown while he couldn't get her out. She was stuck now on her hands and knees crying.

'Fuck, Carol, I'm gona have to get Merle, hang on.' Daryl told her.

'Cover me, with something Daryl, please, be quick, it hurts.' Carol was crying.

Daryl threw a towel over her and he knew Merle was going to get an eye full but Daryl had no choice. Merle come in quietly with Andrea to move her, between him and Daryl they managed to move her into a sitting position where Andrea climbed in behind her so she wouldn't fall back and Merle just lifted her out of the bath, he was stockier and probably stronger in that moment, Daryl was upset and couldn't do anything but try and protect her modesty. Merle put her on her feet and Daryl wrapped a sheet around her to cover her.

'No more bath's right?' Merle told her. Carol nodded. Merle had to help his pregnant other half out of the bath, 'Bath's are banned, banned banned banned.' 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for anyone who been waiting for this chapter........ Its been a thought process trying to think about how it should go....

Daryl took Carol to the court house the next day, dressed nicely in jean's and a button down shirt. Carol in one of her pregnancy dress she had they got married quickly and quietly without any fuss. Merle and Andrea their only guests, both were surprised to hear what the plans were for the day. Andrea did Carol's hair and makeup. At this stage they didn't want anyone else to know but them. Carol was happy though, happier than she had been in a while with everything going crazy around them doing something simple looking into Daryl's eyes and seeing the love there was the best reward also. 

They signed the certificate and it was done. Daryl pulled Carol towards him as close as he could and kissed the heck out of her not caring that people next in line were waiting on them to finish. They walked out into the sunshine holding hands and stood outside looking at each other. Carol giggled a little wondering what they should do now. Carol smiled for the first time in a while a big huge cheeky grin.

Daryl grinned back for a moment forgetting why they were getting married for anyway, caught up in the moment of grinning at Carol. 

'Look at me,' Andrea called they both turned their smiling faces as Andrea took a lot of photos of them. Daryl pulled her into his arms and they took some more. 

'You happy?' He whispered in her ear. 

'Happy,' Carol told him, 'Always happy with you.'

'Love you, its not just about him, I love you,' Daryl told her.

'I love you, and not just because of the baby also,' Carol told him. He caught her lips and kissed her again.

'You guys, your too cute, looking at each other like that.' Andrea told them, Carol held her arms out and hugged her too, she then hugged Merle since she was giving hugs out. She was pretty happy right in that moment, very happy. 

'Babe, we have to go soon ok,' Daryl told her Carol nodded knowing that they had to go to the hospital to get checked up. To have another injection to head them towards Friday. She nodded knowing that today was going to be short lived, they said goodbye to Merle and Andrea. Headed towards the hospital. 

Carol didn't actually feel to bad today, she blamed it all on her good mood, It was great she couldn't believe how happy she was to finally have Daryl all for her. He was hers and she was his. She knew it meant a lot to him, he didn't realise how much it actually meant to her so they walked hand in had towards the entrance of the hospital to see the doctor.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________-

Carol was asleep in the front seat of the truck quickly on the way home so Daryl drove around for a while so she could sleep a bit longer, he wasn't sure if he could lift her into the house any more without Merle helping.  He drove through a drive through and got a drink and food to eat, glancing at Carol who was snoring slightly in the seat beside him. 

He pulled off to the side of the road, and ate his burger watching her sleep. She was sleeping but the baby was awake he could see it moving under her dress, he reached out his hand to touch it, knowing that he was going to be out soon. At first he wasn't too sure about touching her belly but in the past few months he touched and stroked it as often as he could. Often finding himself being kicked awake during the night while Carol slept he would sooth him by touching her belly often and keep his hands on it till they both fell back asleep again.

Daryl worried about what sort of Dad he was going to be. He had no concept of what a good Dad should be he had seen it on the tv and that was about it. He rubbed her belly some more and bent over to kiss it, he lifted his head and noticed her eyes were on him.

'What are you doing?'

'Kissing the baby, you had a good sleep?' Daryl asked her, bringing his mouth to hers.

'Yes hungry, please, a little sore,' Carol told him leaning to kiss him again. 

'Drive through or home for something?' Daryl asked.

'Home, I feel a bit off, a burger might make me puke I think,' 

Daryl started the truck up and drove home, pulling up the drive, he parked and walked around to help her out. He kept his arm around her till he got to the front door and opened it picked her up and got her over the step and kissed her hard. 

'Pretty romantic,' Carol told him, Daryl blushed.

'So you got married and didnt invite me?' Glenn walked into the hall looking at them, 'Congratulations.'

'Don't be mean Glenn, they wanted to get married before the baby come,' Maggie scolded him. Daryl and Carol walked into the lounge where Merle and Andrea had been busy decorating and making it look pretty for them all, there was a meal ready to be shared and Andrea and Maggie lead Carol to the bedroom to show her a baby doll sexy outfit for her to wear for Daryl that night.

'I'm not going to fit into that,' Carol muttered picking it up and looking at it and at the panties that went with the outfit.

'Yes you will its for pregnant women, you will fit just fine, not till after dinner though.' Maggie said pulling her into the bathroom, 'We got all theses nice shower stuff for you both to ummmmmmmmmmm' Maggie blushed for the first time since Carol had met her.

'For ummmmmmm what Maggie?' Andrea giggled.

'Sex right, massage oil and candles and stuff.................' Maggie whispered.

'We finally shut her up, talking about sex shuts Maggie up,' Andrea teased her.

'I don't think I'm up to having sex, look at me,' Carol said.

'You have to its your wedding night, or at least look sexy,' Maggie told her.

'I will try it, but after dinner right.'

Andrea and Maggie all but jumped up and down at the thought of Carol trying their ideas. Daryl had no idea the little things they had planted in the room for him that they woudl show him later.  

 

 

 

 


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its been a while, I lost my flow,

Carol was standing in the bathroom naked wondering what the hell she was thinking, going to put on the outfit that her friends had brought her. Daryl had already been through the shower and was thumbing through the baby name book, they still hadn't thought of a name at all. She taken a shower, Daryl helped her over the side of the bath to get in then he had to help her out when she was finished.

He left her to dry herself as she shooed him away into the bedroom, he had been hovering all night. She knew he was nevous about tomorrow she was too. But she was sore, her body had had enough, her scars were sore, her back was sore and her head was fuzzy. She really couldn't be bothered. She bent over to brush her teeth and decided the hell with it she would put it on. 

She thought she would look like a idiot however when she put it on it wasn't too bad. Who ever had designed it had done a great job it was sexy and covered everything without putting a big stinking bow on her bump. She took a breath and walked out to the bedroom where Daryl's eyes were still on the book, he looked up as she walked into the room.

'Oh my fucken god!' He was moving off the bed heading towards her baby book abandoned. 'Where, how, where did you get that?'

'Andrea and Maggie,' Carol told him. 'Do you like it?"

'Oh hell yes!' Daryl mouth found hers as he kissed her gently. 'We don't need to do anything, we can just cuddle.'

His arm's were around her touching her in a way that his hands were not saying what his mouth wanted to say, Carol wrapped her arms up around his neck and leaned into him. Kissing him back. He rubbed his hands up and down her back to help relieve some pain she had been feeling, Carol groaned into his neck kissing him there.

'Keep doing that,' Carol told him, 'Rub it harder, it feels great.'

'Like that?' He rubbed down near her tail bone, 'Are you ok, everything ok?'

'Yeah, I just need to lie down and can we cuddle, and stuff' Carol told him.  Daryl helped her into bed, really he was just taking the opportunity to cop a feel of her in her sexy underwear, if Carol didn't feel so sore everywhere she would have felt pleased about it all. Daryl settled in at her side stroking her belly and  pulling her towards him. He kissed her mouth and run his hands all over her body.

'God, you smell good,' Daryl buried his face into her neck kissing her and smelling her there. His hands run all over her, Carol tried to enjoy his touch. She normally did but tonight she felt like she was trying to keep up, her back was sore, her boobs were sore. He was kissing her sweet spot on her neck and reached down to touch her, reaching between her legs to rub her clit. Carol groaned with pleasure, she didn't know what she wanted, if felt good but she felt so sore.

'We don't have to, if you don't want to, we can cuddle and watch a movie,' Daryl groaned into her neck. Carol rolled towards him stroking her hand down his chest to his dick, slipping her hand into his boxers to stroke him, he rolled onto his back so she could chose if she wanted to ride him or not. It was the only position they could handle at the moment.

Carol nodded and he tugged down her underwear, then his own and took her hand to help brace her as she moved towards him.

'Hang on, going to try something,' Daryl told her wriggling up the bed shoving pillows behind his back so he was just about sitting up so she could sit on him. He helped her slide onto him, they both groaned at the feeling of it. He was leaning back but upright to wrap his arms around her to help support her as she moved against him, her breasts almost in his face still incased in her sexy outfit. He leaned forward pushing down the straps to give him access to suck on one, Carol gasped a little. 

She put her hands on his shoulders watching his face, he reached down under her belly to rub her clit, she could tell neither of them were going to last very long the love making was intense, starring at each other looking each other in the eye. Carol felt his intense stare like he was etching her face to memory.

She leaned in to kiss him, 'I do, I love you.' She whispered in his ear. He looked into her eyes and saw the unshed tears in there, he swallowed and nodded.

'I love you, always,' he told her. Both of them moved against each other watching each others eyes, it was intense making love watching each others expressions on their faces while their bodies responded to each others, Carol got even more turned on by just the intense of his stare,  Daryl reached out and touched her breasts.

'Don't,' She told him as he rubbed a nipple between his fingers, 'Stop.' 

He moved his hand quickly the look on her face showing it hurt, he could feel her getting wetter and wetter then clamping down on him, he trust up a couple more times and let her orgasm pull him over the edge. Carol leaned forward putting her forehead on his, breathing fast trying to slow down her breathing. She felt so good, the pressure in her back had  almost gone.

Daryl pulled her to him, she rolled off him a little so she could snuggle into his side. His hands drifted over her body, she still had on her top half of the outfit, Daryl felt it run under his fingertips. After a few minutes he helped her to the toilet, then back to bed where he spent some time rubbing his hands up and down her back. 

'You ok?' Daryl asked her quietly.

'Hmmmm, I'm just sore everywhere, that feels nice though,' Carol half rolled looking over her shoulder to him. Then she felt it, she heard it, he heard it and they looked at each other in shock. 'OMG, quick get me to the bathroom.'

Daryl moved fast using strength that he didn't know he could have lifting her from the bed and standing her in the bath as fluid that had protected their baby trailed into the bath. 

'Fuck fuck fuck fuck!' Daryl stuttered, 'Fuck, fuck, don't go anywhere.'

'Where would I go?' Carol stared at him, 'Don't go, don't go, where are you going?' Carol panic'd.

'To get the phone, to get the phone, ANDREAAAAAAA, ANNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAA!' Daryl shouted out the bathroom door, Carol wasn't letting go of his hands, 'MEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEE!'

'No no no no no, you need to give me a shower, I'm not going like this, no no no no no.......' Carol looked at him, 'NO, Daryl it hurts.' Carol started to grip his hands.

'We need to ring a ambulance, Carol, you need to let go of my hands, ANDREA, ANDREA, ANDREA!!!!!!!!!' Daryl turned his head shouting.

There was a timid knock at the bedroom door, 'Come in come in come in,' Daryl called out. Andrea walked into the room with Merle following. Andrea looked him up and down, and Merle did a smirk. Both Daryl was naked and Carol had no bottoms on it wasn't hard to read between the lines of what they had just been doing.

'Water broke, you need to call an ambulance, ring the hospital, Merle get the bag,' Daryl told them they both nodded, Carol was still standing in the bath with a trickle still coming.

'NO, Andrea, please, tell Daryl he has to wash me before I go anywhere, please,' Carol was crying. 

Andrea looked at Daryl, 'For crying out loud Daryl use the hand held shower, if you guys did what I think you did I would want a shower too if they going to be looking at me.'

Daryl turned the shower hose on pulled off her sexy top and quickly washed all traces of him off her the best he could using a cloth and a little bit of shower gel, washing between her legs and got her to turn around brace herself by putting her hands on the wall so he could wash the other side as quickly as he could. Merle walked into the bathroom putting his hand on Daryl's shoulder.

'We need to get moving the Ambulance is about 4 minutes away, her doctor is on the way to the hospital, whats she going to put on?' Merle reached across to turn the shower off, and passed a towel to Daryl, Daryl looked down at himself.

'You need to help her, I need to shower off,' Daryl wrapped a towel around Carol, and helped her over the side of the bath. Andrea come in to help Merle guide Carol into the bedroom. The sore back being contractions and they were stopping her in her track's . Andrea dried her the best she could, pulling on one of Daryl's tee shirts, Carol braced herself against Merle wrapping her arms around his neck. Merle braced himself putting one leg in front of the other to take the pressure.

'I think he's coming, I wana push,' Carol told him.

'Don't push, don't push,' Andrea told her.

'No no Don't push,' Daryl come running out of the bathroom drying himself not caring who saw him, they could hear a Ambulance coming, he pulled on underwear, 'Baby don't push don't, cross your legs or something.'

Daryl pulled on jean's and a tee shirt, looked around for his wallet, and pushed socks into his pocket and shoved on a pair of shoes on. Stopping for a moment starring at Carol who appeared for the world to be in full blown labor in front of him. He moved in to swap places with Merle and Merle run out to wave down the Ambulance. Everyone moved fast there was a small team aboard to help, they bundled Carol up quickly to move her to the hospital. 

Merle drove behind the Ambulance with Daryl and Andrea, there wasn't enough room for him, pulling up behind it at the hospital Daryl and Andrea jumped out and followed them to the birthing unit. Carol was assessed quickly with her doctor saying she was about ready to deliver, she quickly went through anything that could happen, deciding to let Carol deliver anyway she wanted and they would monitor her, a small team of baby doctors moved into the room, keeping away as Carol moved off the bed to get away from the pain.

'Daryl, fix it,' Carol groaned into his ear, 'God, why did you do this to me!'

'Your doing great,' Daryl told her quietly remembering Andrea's warnings, don't get into anything, just keep telling her she's doing well.

'Carol, if you want to push you can, remember we will want to check him out, I will check him, then you can cuddle him first,' Her doctor told her, Carol nodded, 'I'm going to watch, do you want to hang onto Daryl or go into the bed?'

'Daryl,' Carol groaned, putting her head onto his shoulder Daryl widened his stance so not to fall over. Carol pushed down, the doctor gave encouragement, telling her to keep going, and he had his head out. Carol pushed down again and she felt him coming out. 

She leaned forward onto Daryl who was watching the doctor who had a little baby boy in her arms, Daryl helped her onto the side of the bed. Both of them watching the doctor give their baby a quick once over, he was still attached to Carol, they hadn't cut the cord yet. She was to busy listening to his lungs. He was small but not to bad, he let out a cry, letting them know he was here.

Carol had tears, Daryl had tears, they cut the cord and gave him to Carol to snuggle with between her breasts. One of the team took some instant photos of the new family, giving it to them to keep.  Daryl reached out to touch the baby, leaning in close to look at this tiny little boy who had caused them so much trouble in the past few months, he was worth it. The baby team moved in to check him out in front of them.

'We need to take him, he needs a little bit of help breathing,' The one of them told them, Daryl nodded. Carol watched as they moved him into the incubator. One of the team looked over and asked if he had a name.

Daryl looked at Carol knowing they hadn't picked one yet, she began to shake her head, 'I like Zane,' He told her.

She squeezed his hand and nodded, 'You go with him, stay with him,'

Daryl looked at Carol and at the baby he was torn between the two, the baby won out and he nodded, 'I'm coming back, I love you, I'll send Andrea in.' 

He kissed her again and moved after the baby. He kept his eye on the incubator and waved out to Andrea to go into see Carol. Giving them both the thumbs up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	40. Chapter 40

Daryl leg was bouncing as he stood back watching two doctors run their hands over his new baby, he was nearly ready to rip their heads off. He had oxygen tubes running into his nose, C-pac, One stuck sticky tabs across his chest, the other put soft looking eye coverings over his eyes. Then one appeared to be coming at him with a needle.

'Wait, wait, what are you doing?' Daryl stepped forward. He had been told to stand back and let them work on him. He had stood back while they moved him gently about then Daryl saw it.

'We are going to put a line in to give him fluid,' the doctor told him.

'Put something on him first so it don't hurt him,' Daryl told him, he been around enough to know they put stuff on Carol, they could do it to Zane. The doctor nodded and got a nurse to put cream on him. 'Is he ok,'

'He's ok for now, his lungs sound strong, he's going to be here for a bit, but he's ok for now, you can ring your partner to tell her he's doing great,' the doctor told him.

'My wife,' Daryl corrected him. Watching the doctor hovering nearby with the needle. Fixing his gaze on him.

'Don't you touch him till that works,' Daryl growled at them watching Zane. They nodded again watching his monitor, watching his breathing. Zane was crying a cry that was making Daryl want to cry, he pulled out his phone and texted Merle to say things were ok. He didn't know if he could ring Carol without crying, without her hearing him cry.

'Is he going to be breastfed?' he asked Daryl, Daryl nodded putting his phone back in his pocket. Daryl was starting to chew his lip because no one was doing anything about Zane crying, he wanted to pick him up but didn't know if he was allowed to touch him, he reached out and stroked his arm to let him know he was there.

A nurse come over and put a chair on the other side of the little glass bed they had him in. The lid was off the nurse indicated he should sit down.

'Take your tee shirt off,' She told him quietly and she wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. She stalled and faltered a moment looking at his body which to a new person seeing his scars was shocking, she didn't say anything but move the baby gently onto his chest showing him how he could hold him while he had all the wires and face mask attached to him. Zane stopped crying as Daryl whispered hello to him. She put a little blanket across his back and stood back and smiled. 'There, he's happy, best place for him.'

He didn't notice the glance exchange between the nurse and the doctor after they both had seen his body. Both felt a little sickened at the strong muscular man who's body was littered with scars from his own childhood was looking down at the tiny baby at his chest with love in his eyes. Both were aware of the story regarding Carol's pregnancy, and were instructed to keep a special eye on both mum and dad because of the events, to offer support and understanding if either showed signs of extreme stress or needed extra support. Both were please he was wanting to bond close to his baby, protective of him quickly. They had no doubt about him at all of his new found love for his baby.

Daryl looked down at the tiny baby at his chest with all theses overwhelming feelings he really didn't understand but tears were rolling down his face, he didn't know if he was sad or happy or excited. What it was all about. He looked around the room and saw some other parents through a window in another area. Zane would be moved through there when he was stable. The nurse come near to check his obs, and adjust a lead that had come loose. 

'Carol?' Daryl managed to choke out. 'My wife?'

'I'll ring through and see whats happening,' she told him moving towards the phone, Daryl felt terrible he wanted to be with Carol and wanted to be with Zane. He didn't know if there had been any complications with tearing of her scars, he was meant to come via C-Section. The nurse come back and looked at Daryl.

'Well they have done a ultra sound and it seems that there has been no extra damage to anything, so they are playing a wait  and see game. The placenta has been delivered and she should be here soon once they cleaned her up a little. You can go to her if you want to, Zane is in safe hands here,' She told him, Daryl shook his head. Carol would understand him not leaving the baby.

Daryl also insisted that he keep the baby in his arms while they put the line in. They didn't refuse him just turned the lights around and quickly put it in. All part of the special treatment that Carol's obgyn had insisted on for them.  'These's parents have been to hell and back to save this baby!' She had told the nurses but not the doctors.

They had no doubt in what she meant. The doctor stood across the room doing his notes he looked at the nurse, 'His scar's look really old, I've seen scars like that sometimes on kids who have been beaten, you don't think its from his childhood?'

The nurse looked at him and shrugged her shoulders, 'Is he safe with the baby, have they said to watch out for him?' He asked.

'I don't know, but he's not letting anything happen to that baby, so that's a great sign.' The nurse whispered back. Daryl was leaning back in the easy chair with Zane on his chest with his eyes shut listening to every word that was being spoken about him.

'I'm no arsehole, I'm not my dad, nothings going to happen to Zane, he's perfectly safe with me!' Daryl growled from across the room, his voice startled the doctor who looked around embarrassed, he was flustered and couldn't talk knowing he had been caught out, 'Don't talk about me or my family like I ain't in the room either,' He told them.

The doctor didn't have a chance to reply due to the fact they were pushing Carol into the room on her bed, pushing her right up beside the gear he needed to be attached too. The nurse moved the baby from Daryl to Carol who was in the sitting position in her bed, showing her she could try and latch him but he might be too small, his mouth might be too small for her nipple. After a couple of false starts Zane managed to suck at her, getting some golden milk out. 

Daryl leaned forward on his seat watching, he was amazed this tiny little boy seemed to know what to do.

'That's great, really great, if you can keep feeding him, it will make him stronger.' Carol spent as long as she could with Zane before they put him back asleep in his little bed. Daryl followed Carol down to her room to help her shower and settle for the rest of the night. They were going to take her back and forward to feed Zane. Daryl didn't know how this was going to work when they sent Carol home and Zane stayed behind, He was thankful they only lived 5 minutes away from the hospital.

He held her while she showered, she was still bleeding and he helped her into underwear and a tee shirt. Finding the pads from the bag giving them to her, he was surprised all this side of things didn't bother him at all once he saw Zane come out. He cuddled up beside her in bed wrapping his arms around her being able to drag her close.

'Really you didn't have to get me a present for our wedding night,' he gently teased her, leaning in to kiss her quickly. He held her until she slept then sneaked back to watch the baby for a while before falling asleep on the bed beside Carol, until they woke her to go try feed him again.


	41. Chapter 41

The next few days passed with a whirlwind of tears, highs and lows. Daryl prowled the baby like a guard dog making sure they were not running any tests or doing anything without their permission. The nurses learnt quickly he didn't get a diaper change without his knowledge, Carol was still recovering, her injuries from her attack slowing down her recovery after giving birth to Zane.

Then there were the tears, which the nurses had assured Daryl was normal. Carol couldn't help it, she couldn't stop them from falling even when she was holding Zane her hormones were all over the place. Andrea tried to help but in the end they just let the crying go, it was normal the nurses told him. There was nothing to do but hold her and let her cry. 

Daryl was tired, he had been sleeping in the chair and on Carols bed or beside Zane's incubator when Merle suggested that he come home for a few hours to sleep, eventually he agreed knowing he hadn't been out of the hospital for 3 days. Glenn had agreed to take Daryl's place for a few hours sitting beside Zane and keeping an eye on Carol, who was shuffling between her room on the ward and the baby unit.

Glenn sat watching him for some time then pulled out his book. Carol come and sat on the easy chair with Zane at her breast and snuggled at her chest for an hour or so. She half dozed on the chair with him lying back in the lazy boy position.

 At home Daryl wandered into their bedroom looking around, Andrea had been in for a quick tidy up and made the bed. Daryl took his clothes off and stood under the shower washing himself. He had taken a few showers in Carol's room in the small bathroom there. It felt good to be in his own home, he was tired, emotional, and felt like he had been holding in his own tears to not upset Carol anymore. 

The whole thing was crazy, they couldn't bring their  baby home, Carol was coming home in a few days and they would be leaving Zane at the hospital. Daryl's chest hurt, his throat burnt and he tried to cough to clear it. He been trying to be strong for Carol and hiding the fact he was upset about it too, leaving him behind. He felt sick, and he let go and cried under the shower. He cried more since he knew about this baby than he had his whole life he was sure.

Merle found him twenty minutes later when he heard the shower still running, and Daryl's sob from the open door way from the room.

'Come on mate,' Merle turned off the shower and handed him a towel hauling him up, 'You will feel better when you sleep, you need to sleep,' left him to get dried and moved around the room pulling the curtains and back his sheets on the bed.

'Just wana bring them home you know?' Daryl muttered pulling on boxers. Merle nodded and left him coming back a few minutes later to bring him some food, Daryl ate and collapsed into the bed, sleeping within minutes. Merle run through to the hospital three hours later to tell Carol that he was still asleep, she agreed to leave him sleeping. Andrea swapped with Glenn and stayed with Carol at the hospital.

Daryl woke 6 hours later rolling over in bed looking at the clock, it was really dark. He leaped out of bed running to the toilet and shower to go back to the hospital. Merle come to the bathroom door.

'Carol said to let you sleep, Andrea's there, they are ok, you needed to sleep,' Merle told him, Daryl nodded he didnt care he wanted to get there now. He shoved clothes on and some clothes for a overnight bag, some new stuff for Carol, he raided the cupboard for snacks for Carol, she was starving all the time. He piled food in and looked at Merle.

'Lets go,' Daryl told him, Merle nodded and they left for the hospital to pick up Andrea and leave Daryl with Carol.

Walking into the hospital it was after dinner time Daryl looked into Carol's room she was in there asleep, Daryl could tell she had been crying, he felt terrible not being there and a home sleeping she was there crying alone.  Merle went in and sat down waiting for Daryl to come back Carol looked tired. He wandered down to the baby room and checked on Zane, he washed his hands to go in. He gave a small wave to a nurse holding up his pass to get into the ward. They buzzed him in to see him. A nurse greeted him, Daryl looked worried about what they were going to say.

'We have taken him off oxygen and he's breathing on his own without any help,' the young nurse told him.

'Really? When, I've been asleep, I missed it,' Daryl told her.

'Mama and Aunty were here, come see,' She lead Daryl to where Andrea was sitting with the baby snuggled between her breasts for skin on skin, he seemed to do better there than being in his crib, more settled.

'Hey papa bear, you feeling better?' Andrea asked him, Daryl nodded, pulling out his phone to snap a couple of pictures of him without his face mask on.

'Yeah, hows this? Big boy now?' Daryl said.

'Yeah go get him a football,' Andrea teased him.

'Hows Carol?' Daryl stroked the baby's cheek while talking quietly, he looked around there were a few other families about with their babies. There were lots of little babies about in the ward.

'Tired, her milks come in, her boobs are enormous and she's expressed some for him, they going to try let her sleep all night to recover and give him some expressed stuff, I don't know,' Andrea told him, Daryl nodded, he didn't know how that would work, if Carol had agreed to that or not. They hadn't talked about bottles or anything yet, he wanted to check with Carol first. 

'What did Carol Say? She agree to that? Bottle and stuff?' Daryl asked Andrea.

'I don't know, they were talking to her about it.' Andrea called the nurse over by indicating she could come over to talk to them.

'What's going on tonight with feeding Zane?' Daryl asked the nurse, she looked surprised he was questioning her.

'Carol extremely tired and sore, she has plenty of milk that we can do a feed during the night to help her recover a bit faster rather than broken sleep,' She told Daryl.

'So you feed him, she sleep? She's agreed to that?' Daryl asked her, the nurse looked a bit uncomfortable at his questions. She called the doctor across to talk to him.

'She's a bit upset about it but she needs to rest a bit more, its only one feed, you can do it, she just needs to let her body recover, with solid sleep, if she's awake at feed time she can feed him, We are not keeping him from her,' the doctor come across to tell him. 'She's hurting, her body still hurting from the attack her doctor wants to try keep her on bed rest for a bit longer, to try stop more surgery.'

Daryl nodded he felt like shit, they done this while he wasn't there. He nodded, looking at Zane. 'You ok, if I go see her>?' He asked Andrea, she nodded, she was resting, her belly was big, she kept the baby between her breast rubbing his back gently. Daryl headed off to go see Carol.

 

 


	42. Chapter 42

He went in and picked up her notes hanging from the end of the bed to see if anything new had been written, he knew he shouldn't really be looking but he did anyway. Merle got up telling Daryl he was going down to see the baby and Andrea. Daryl nodded and put the notes back reading everything he needed to read. 

Carol was still sleeping on her side so Daryl climbed up behind her pushing himself into her back, wrapping his arms around her breathing in the smell of her. He felt her body relax into his and go into a deeper sleep. They stayed that way for another hour when a nurse come in to tell him that Zane was due a feed and did he want to do it? Reluctantly he climbed out of the bed to go see Zane leaving Carol sleeping.

Merle and Andrea said goodnight leaving him at the hospital overnight to sleep in the chair or bed beside Carol.

The nurse showed him how to warm the milk for him and test it inside his elbow to make sure it didn't burn his little mouth, how to hold him, so he could take the milk. Zane preferred Carol's breast's it seemed and was reluctant to take any milk from Daryl, eventually Daryl put him to his bare chest wrapping a blanket around them both and he sucked at the bottle. 

The nurse told him he would only take a little at every feed due to the size of his tummy being tiny. They showed him how to put him over his shoulder to rub his tiny back to help pass any gas. 

'Carol's pumped enough milk for the next two feeds so if she's still sleeping we can just keep doing this?' The nurse told Daryl, he nodded.

'K..........' Daryl mumbled rubbing his head and putting his lips to the side of his head and keeping them there. 

'He your first baby?' The nurse tried to make conversation with him, it was fairly late, there were very few people in the baby room apart from the nurses and one mother down the other end sitting with her baby.

'Yeah, we been through a lot, nearly lost him a few times, he's special to us,' Daryl told her nodding his head.

'I was there, that night, I sometimes go to emergency cases,' She told him, 'He's pretty special, he's very well loved too.' She smiled at them and left him cuddling the baby for a while before coming back to suggest that Daryl might like to try get some sleep before his next feed. Eventually after a few kisses he put him back into his little glass bed. He stretched and pulled on his tee shirt, nodding to everyone and leaving to go see Carol. 

He didn't notice the exchange of looks between the nurses when he stretched and showed off his impressive muscles. All the nurses were grinning as he left. Anything to get through the night, he had left them plenty to talk about, especially as he stretched they caught a glimpse of his boxers. 

Zane's nurse just shook her head at them, 'You really shouldn't be perving at the new Dad's he loves his wife, and his baby.'

'That's why we are perving, why are all the nice one's taken?' One of them replied.

'Maybe your looking in the wrong place, instead of bars and night clubs troll the supermarkets or something,' She sighed, looking over Zane's obs, and recording them. She took his temperature and checked his diaper. He was sound asleep and so hopefully was his Mama, she was a crying mess when she come to feed him today, they were under strict instructions not to mention it to Daryl and stress him out until she woke to talk to Daryl herself. She was such a mess the doctor had given her a sleeping pill and instructed her that she needed to sleep for the good of her health and her baby's.

Daryl went to the toilet in the little room, washed his hands and pulled his jean's off climbing into the single bed behind Carol. He really wasn't supposed to be staying the night at the hospital but they were overlooking it due to the fact she had her own room and all the issues they had had with her pregnancy. He wasn't stupid he had seen she had been crying and he had read her notes and knew they had given her a sleeping pill because of a distressed state. Everyone was lying to him including Andrea. 

Everyone knew she had been upset and no one had rung him or told him. He snuggled into her back and cuddled her, in her hazy sleep she rolled over towards him wrapping her arms around him.

'Sorry babe, you got upset and I wasn't here,' Daryl mumbled into her neck.

'I would have been upset if you were here or not, help me to the toilet?' She asked him, he rolled out of bed and all but carried her sleepy state to the toilet, got her the things she needed and helped her wash her hands and get back into bed.

'Zane?' Carol mumbled almost asleep.

'Cuddling with Andrea went I arrived wedged between her boobs, I gave him a bottle, and cuddle and kissed him he's asleep, you sleep, I'll sleep,' Daryl told her with his eyes shut. 

'Good, love you,' Carol told him, Daryl leaned in to kiss her goodnight but she was already asleep so he kissed her head and cuddled her close until he was woken to come visit Zane again.

 

 


	43. Chapter 43

'I think if he keeps putting on weight like this, we might break you out of here soon,' The doctor said to Carol and Daryl, 'One more week, maybe.'

Daryl glanced at Carol watching how she was going to react to the news, they were planning on sending her home in a week too. She had taken a down hill turn for a few days bed ridden pumping milk for Zane this was her first trip to the baby unit in a few days and she was dying to get her hands on him.

'I think, we can let him go, into the family bedrooms, attached to the unit, so he's still here but we will move you into here and you can keep him in your room so you can establish your own feeding pattern and bonding with him without everyone watching,' He watched their reactions on their faces, Daryl nodded because Carol was crying. Something she was doing on a nearly hourly base at the moment.

Over the next hour they moved Zane into the family bedroom and Daryl brought all Carol's things through. There was a couch and tv, a little kitchenette that they could make a coffee or heat something in the mirowave without leaving. It was a dream for Carol, she just sat on the couch holding her baby.

They still did obs on him every hour, knocking on the door to come in. Daryl stretched out on the bed to sleep for a bit, Carol sat with the baby watching a talk back show. She kept looking down to check him, not believing they had unlimited access to him without people watching them all the time. Carol stood up and moved slowly over towards Daryl tapping him a little he opened one eye moving over a little so she and the baby could fit in the bed beside him.

She still needed to lie down for a bit but the smile hadn't left her face since they gave her the baby.

'Everything ok?' Daryl whispered.

'Yeah, I'm tired.' She told him.

'You can sleep I will watch him,' Daryl told her. She did had him close to her chest sleeping while Daryl watched them both sitting with his back up against the back of the bed watching the tv. Two nurses come to do obs on Zane, moving quietly around them both.

'This is great for bonding, sometimes mothers can feel a little detached with the baby not with them,' One said to Daryl, he nodded to him this was the most relaxed he had seen Carol since he was born. Having him to themselves words couldn't express how he felt. He took a photo on his phone of them both sleeping on the bed and text it to Andrea and to Merle with the message that they were in the parenting bedrooms if they were to come visit.

Also if they were to come visit could they please bring a meal that wasn't junk food. 

An hour later Andrea and Merle showed up with kebabs for everyone. Carol was in bed feeding Zane, Andrea was clucking all over him. Everyone was excited to spend time without being watched like they were going to make some extreme parenting mistake with him. It was crazy. 

Carol reluctantly let the Andrea hold him while she took a shower with Daryl's help, he stood outside the shower curtain there for support if she needed it.

'Its exciting, I'm so excited, you don't know how excited I am,' Carol beamed out the shower curtain. Daryl looked her up and down, noting the bruise on her hip had gone down a bit. She suffered a tiny bit of internal bleeding they they fixed the day before under local, she refused to go under due to it might affect her milk.

'I can tell, you haven't stopped smiling,' He whispered back.

'I love him, I think I love him more than you,' Carol blushed, looking at him.

'Great, thats wonderful news, thanks for letting me know,' He teased her.

'I mean, I can't describe it, its a different love, my heart when I look at him,' she whispered then moved to wash her hair.

'I know I feel the same, he's mine, I love him. I would fight Lions for him,' Daryl pulled back the curtain to watch her again.

'Not Lions, but I feel like a Tiger ready to rip someones eyes out if they say something bad about him,' Carol told him.

'Lets not rip someones eyes out though babe ok?' Daryl told her. He held a towel out to help her get dried, she was still a little unsteady on her feet and she was still bleeding, and had had some internal bleeding it was only right he rub every part of her dry.

'Keep away, I know your coping a feel,' She warned him he just grinned at her. '6 weeks buddy then I will think about it,'

'I know, I'm just looking,' He teased her.

'At what, I'm like jello,' she looked down at her belly all wobbly, he just laughed and helped her into her knickers and clean clothes.

 

 


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Small update for this, I put it down and couldn't get my groove back, hope you like it, any feedback welcome any idea's welcome.

Daryl was in a bit of a panic, he was bringing home both Carol and Zane today, he went through a list of things he needed then decided blow it, he really only needed a car seat and shoes for Carol. Anything else he could worry about later.

Merle was going to help him get the gear they had at the hospital out to the truck, he had borrowed Maggies car so she didn't have to climb up into the truck. The hospital had said they should stick close to home for the next month, he sorted out the flat above the garage so she could come to work with him and be there. She still needed some help getting around but it would mean she could be more independent without feeling guilty about ringing anyone home from work to help her.

Carol was waiting for him, everything was packed, Zane was dressed in real clothes, he picked him up cuddling him in close, kissing him, 'You look ready,'

'I'm going insane, fresh air, can we drive the long way home?' Carol asked him, he nodded, there was a knock at the door, Merle poked his head in to get the bags and gathered everything up.

'See you at home,' he told them.

Daryl got Carol ready, they said their goodbyes and left a card with some morning tea for them all in the kitchen for them for a thankyou for looking after them. Daryl had the car seat in one hand and a arm around Carol to help her on the trek to the front door of the hospital. They were slow moving but she insisted she could walk. In the end Daryl insisted she get in the wheel chair he found in one of the corridors pushing it with one hand and carrying the car seat by the handle with the other.

He had used the baby pick up park so they were really close to the entrance, she moved out walking to the car climbing in the back to sit with the baby, Daryl locked the baby in, he had been practicing. Finally they were ready to go home.

He hadn't driven far and she was asleep, the walk taken it out of her. So he drove straight home parking up the drive. Merle come out to help them inside. Followed by Andrea. Merle carried the car seat in, Andrea fussed getting him out sitting with him and a snuggly blankie in the lounge, Daryl managed to get Carol out of the car into their room and their bed. Pulling off her shoes. She was a lot lighter than last time he lifted her, but she was a dead weight. The doctors had said she needed to sleep lots, sleep when the baby slept. He pulled the curtains, and looked at her, her face seemed more relaxed he thought for her to be in her own bed.

He knew she was just tired, they could wake her when Zane needed feeding but he couldn't help but feel panic'd that they didn't have the back up of a dozen nurses and a call button. He pushed the little bed into the lounge in case they put him down out of arms into the bed.

Andrea and Merle seemed to be enjoying cuddling the baby without people checking on them. Merle was rubbing her tummy talking to Zane that his cousin would be here soon to play with him. Merle was hoping his cousin would stay in longer than Zane did. He was still tiny, but they had to keep getting him weighed every couple of days to make sure he was doing ok.

Daryl moved around less panic'd seeing everyone else was calm making himself a coffee and coming to sit and watch them cuddle his baby. Andrea had him snuggled between her breasts, and he was still sleeping, he slept a great deal, they hoped he kept that up. Daryl had visions of never sleeping again if he would only sleep on his chest or Carol's chest. 

Merle moved around sorting out dinner for everyone, Zane become scratchy make snuffling noises, he took him to see Carol. He woke her a little talking to her quietly that she should try feed the baby. She rolled onto her side feeding him like that in the bed the way a nurse had showed her. His little body down the front of her. Daryl couldn't be any happier to have them both back home. 

The moment he had them both through the front door his stress levels had left, he felt calmer than he had since he found out she was pregnant. They were both home they were both safe. Fingers crossed everything just could tick along nicely. Birth control was talked about in depth, no babies no way no how should even be considered until Carol had a check up.

No sex for 6 weeks, then they would consider their options for birth control. Daryl was at the point of getting himself fixed so no more babies would come at all, he didn't want to do this again, it been full on since the beginning. In the end Zane was pretty cute for looking like a skinned rabbit though. 

 


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking I'm going to wind this one up this chapter

The change from Carol being in the hospital to being at home was incrediable. She was happy and confident that she could look after the baby, she was teaching Daryl how to do things they hadn't shown him at the hospital. 2 day's they have spent getting to know there baby chilling out together bonding with him without nosy nurses watching their every move.

Carol made herself a nest in the lounge, snuggling up on pillows or on Daryl with the baby on her breast most of the day or on her chest. Daryl watched her bond more and more with Zane which he had already done at the hospital, Carol hadn't had much time alone with the baby without someone watching her, or she had been too sick to be in the baby unit for long periods.

'He ever off them?' Daryl looked down the front of her at her breasts with the tiny baby attached. Every time he had looked he seemed to be firmly attached to her.

'You jealous?' she teased him looking down at the tiny baby nestled at her breast stroking his little tiny head. Her breast were bigger than his head she noted.

'Nah, just is he drinking or using you as a pacifier?' Daryl asked he was a bit concerned because he had been reading up that she shouldn't be letting him sleep with a nipple in his mouth due to them getting sore.

'Should I take him off? He's not drinking, he's sleeping,' She looked at him.

'Maybe, the booklet said he might make you sore if you do that sort of stuff, make you crack,' he reached across the back of the couch feeling around for the booklet he had been reading about breast feeding. He flicked it to the part about letting them sleep on the nipple and showed it to her the bit he had been reading. Pointing it out to her, she read it while he held it for her.

'You been reading up about breast feeding?' she asked glancing around at him.

'Maybe,' Daryl admitted, he been reading everything they given him.

Carol eased the baby off he didn't cry just snuggled down between her breasts to sleep. She nodded at him, he reached over picking up some nipple cream. He could see she looked a little sore from letting him just sit on her. She declined his offer to rub it on for her. He was looking down at her bare breast watching her adjust herself. She looked at him and he was just grinning at her.

'How did you know?' Carol snuggled back to into his chest.

'Been reading every damn thing they been giving me,' Daryl leaned in to kiss her neck and snuggle her more. He missed just snuggling and holding her. The past month was one of the best and worst of his life, with both Carol and Zane in the hospital. A well balanced juggling act. He kissed her neck some more between her shoulder blade and ear, he felt her give a shudder.

'Back off buddy,' Carol warned him.

'Just kissing you,' He whispered.

'Kissing leads to you having other thoughts,' Carol told him, 'We can't do other thoughts, I'm not ready to do other thoughts.'

'No, I'm not, maybe we could put him in that thing there and take a shower, you're starting to smell funky,' Daryl told her looking over at the bassinet. She looked across her shoulders at him he was grinning and nodding, she could feel him digging into her back.

'I do not, I showered this morning,' 

'Its got wheels, we can put him outside the door,  we haven't snuggled since I don't know when,' Daryl told her he just wanted to snuggle her without Zane, Merle and Andrea were out. They finally had some time alone, Zane was sound asleep they could take ten minutes to be together to cuddle.

'Tell you what, I'll come snuggle in the shower with you, if you snuggle with Zane for a bit, let me have some time in the bathroom alone before you come in,' she told him.

'Every thing ok?'

'Yes, I just got a lot of things going on down there, I don't want you to see,' Carol whispered, Daryl didn't have the heart to tell her, he'd seen it all in the last month at the hospital even sitting on the toilet, since the first day he helped her shower months ago when he was ok with all her bodily functions. He knew she went to the toilet, he did, but if she felt it needed to be a secret he would let her.

'Fine, you call me,' he moved a little so she could pass Zane between them so Daryl could hold him while Carol we to the bathroom. He snuggled the baby for 5 minutes before giving him a pep talk. He tucked him into the bed not before wrapping him and putting one of Carol's tee shirts up his front before wrapping him to sleep, a little trick he learnt in the hospital that the nurses showed him. Zane could smell the smell of Carol it made him happier having her smell near made him sleep better, it made Daryl sleep better.

15 minutes later Carol was in the shower, Daryl wheeled the bassinet to the door and chucked off his clothes onto the floor in the direction of the washing basket, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth to climb in to cuddle his wife. He hadn't been this close to her in months without an audience. Any time they got close to even just lying down to sleep in each others arms some one wanted to know something or check something, so he was moving fast hopefully Zane would sleep long enough for him to have 5 minutes of his wife's time.

Carol tried to hide her body from him, Daryl gave a little grin and kept his gaze on her eyes so she didn't have to try. He had seen every part of her body in the past few months some sights he never dreamed he would see ever in his life. He didn't tell her that but let her believe she was hiding all the important parts. He pulled her into a cuddle bending down to kiss her neck. Just standing there cuddling her. He helped her wash even though she didn't need him to help really but he was keen to put his hands on her.

'So tomorrow, we take the ompha lumpa to be weighed, then do you want to try coming into the flat?' Daryl asked her. He really needed to get back to work because Merle had been carrying the load lately he needed to help. Merle wanted to take some time off too to bond with his baby when it arrived that time was creeping up fast. Pretty soon they would have two little babies in the house. 

'Ompha lumpa, don't call him that,' Carol tapped his chest. She looked a little offended that he had been calling their baby names.

'Have you seen how big he's getting? Porker,' Daryl pulled her close again, he wasn't going to lie it felt good to have her warm naked wet body up against his even if nothing was going to happen, he just needed to tell his dick that as it had jumped into action the moment he stripped off his clothes.

'Its good,' Carol reached out to pull him into a kiss, her hands wound up around his neck holding him there so she could talk, 'Thankyou,'

'For what?'

'Being you, not getting annoyed with everything, your a keeper, I think I will let you stay,' She told him giving him a small smile.

'I hope so cos you married me' Daryl laughed a little, they were married now so it was going to be hard to get rid of him now.

'Yeah, I know, I made a good choice,' Carol reached down to stroke his dick which had been hard since they climb into the shower. He groaned into her neck, she put pressure on it as he moved in closer to grind himself against her to create some friction on his dick, his mouth was hot on her neck and he backed her up against the shower wall, he looked at her with lust hovering behind his lids.

'You don't have too,' he whispered.

'I want too,' She kept stroking him, it had been over a month since they last had sex, and he had been so tired the last thing on his mind had been stroking his own, he came hard and quick over her stomach. His whole body shuddered, he was a little embarrassed how little it took for her to stroke him off.

'God, I'm sorry,' He moved to help wash her, Carol shook her head, she didn't mind, she enjoyed it. She certainly wasn't ready for anything more than dry humping at the moment. Or wet humping in the shower.

Finally everything was settling down for them to enjoy being together with their son enjoying their life together.

 

 


End file.
